Premier League 18/19; Liverpool vs Tottenham: 3 crucial factors to watch out for
Liverpool will face Tottenham at Anfield in an extremely important match in the Premier League. Liverpool are the league-leaders with 76 points in 31 matches, whereas Tottenham is at the third position, 15 points behind their opponents. Jurgen Klopp's men desperately need a win, in order to keep the pressure on Manchester City.
On the other hand, Tottenham would like to come out with a draw at least to boost their chances of finishing inside the top four and thereby ensuring qualification for next season’s Champions League. Mauricio Pochettino would try to improve his team’s poor record against the big teams in the Premier League.
The encounter promises to be an absorbing battle between two top teams in the most competitive football league in the world. We would look at the 3 key factors, which might determine the outcome of the match:
#1 Sadio Mane’s good form and Salah’s lack of it:
Sadio Mane, Liverpool’s left winger, is in red-hot form at the moment, and has scored a brace each against Bayern Munich and Burnley. He again scored against Fulham to take his tally to five goals in the last three matches. The Senegalese forward has already scored 20 goals in 38 matches in the season and is the man to watch out for against Tottenham too.
However, in order to accommodate Roberto Firmino in the starting line-up, Klopp would have to start Mane on the left-wing again, when it is pretty obvious that he is more lethal while playing in a central position. Ideally, he should start as the centre-forward in a 4-3-3 or as one of the two strikers in a 4-4-2, but that is very unlikely to happen, as Klopp is unlikely to leave a player as important as Firmino out.
Mohamed Salah’s lack of form should also be a matter of concern for Klopp as Liverpool usually depend a lot on the Egyptian forward. Salah has already scored 20 goals this season so far but has not scored any in the last few games. While he provided a vital assist against Bayern Munich, the Liverpool supporters expect a lot more from him.
Should Salah regain his form on Sunday, Tottenham might find it very difficult to handle him. The combination of Mane and Salah is one even the best defenders in the world are bound to struggle against.