Liverpool vs Tottenham: Premier League Match Preview, Where to watch and more
The 2018/19 Premier League season enters the business end as Liverpool and Manchester City battle it out to become Champions of England. Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in a game which they must win after City edged ahead of the Merseyside outfit following a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Jurgen Klopp's men secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Fulham in their last fixture. The Reds have been handed positive news before Spurs' visit as Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez recover from their respective injuries. The Reds would like to stay hot on Manchester City's heels as they look to win their maiden Premier League title.
Tottenham, on the other hand, would look to bounce back after suffering defeats against Southampton, Chelsea and Burnley, in their previous league encounters. Mauricio Pochettino and his side visit Anfield without the midfield duo of Eric Dier (thigh), Harry Winks (hip) and Right Back Serge Aurier (hamstring).
The last encounter between Liverpool and Tottenham ended in a 2-1 win for the five-time European Champions as goals from Gini Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino helped Liverpool secure a valuable away win in September.
Kickoff Information
Date: 31st March 2019
Time: 16:30 (local time), 21:00 (IST)
Venue: Anfield
TV Coverage: Star Sports Select 2
Live Streaming: Hotstar
Form Guide
Last five fixtures, in all competitions
Liverpool: W-D-W-W-W
Tottenham: L-L-D-W-L
Head-To-Head
Liverpool: 81 wins
Tottenham: 48 wins
Draws: 42 draws
Key Players
Liverpool: Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk has undoubtedly been Liverpool's stand-out player in the 2018/19 Premier League season. The Dutch International has played a key role in helping Liverpool keep 17 clean sheets this season. Moreover, van Dijk has faced some of the world's best attackers this season but hasn't been dribbled past even once in the league.
Van Dijk will be key in marshalling the back four as they come up against a dangerous quartet of Eriksen, Son, Alli and Kane. His positioning, impeccable aerial ability and composure will be key in stifling Spurs' forward line.
The Dutchman's passing range will also be key in picking out the runs of Salah and Mane who will look to exploit any gaps left by Tottenham's back four.
Tottenham: Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen remains a key figure in Mauricio Pochettino's side despite Harry Kane hogging all the limelight due to his goal scoring exploits. On his day, the Danish International is capable of changing the game in the blink of an eye which is seen in previous games/seasons. The former Ajax midfielder will look to add to his tally of five goals and nine assists.
Tottenham will be reliant on Eriksen as they look to come away with a positive result against Jurgen Klopp's well organised Liverpool side. His ability to play in between the lines, shoot from distance and set-piece deliveries will be required as Spurs look to bounce back from a poor run of results, which has seen the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United close the gap behind third placed Spurs.