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Spurs Odyssey Preview - Liverpool v Spurs, 10.02.15

· Last Season's Corresponding Game - Liverpool 4 Spurs 0
· This season's home game - Spurs 0 Liverpool 3
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 25 2013-14

· See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats

Full League record - Liverpool v Spurs


Premier     Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home        23  11   5   7   32 -33  38
Away        22   2   6  14   19 -45  12
========================================
Total(Prem) 45  13  11  21   51 -78  50
========================================
Football Lge
Home(Div 1) 49  24  10  15   71 -58  62
Away(Div 1) 49   4  14  31   38 -95  24
========================================
Total(Div 1)98  28  24  46  109 -153 86
========================================
Total(Prem) 45  13  11  21   51 -78  50
Total(Div 1)98  28  24  46  109 -153 86
========================================
Grand Total 143 41  35  67  160 -229 136
========================================

Last Six Premier League results:-

Liverpool -    WDWWWD

Liverpool  4-1   Swansea
Liverpool  2-2   Leicester
S'derland  0-1   Liverpool
A. Villa   0-2   Liverpool
Liverpool  2-0   West Ham
Everton    0-0   Liverpool

Spurs     -    DWLWWW

Spurs      0-0   Man Utd
Spurs      5-3   Chelsea
C. Palace  2-1   Spurs
Spurs      2-1   S'derland
West Brom  0-3   Spurs
Spurs      2-1   Arsenal

Pos           P  W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
5. Spurs     24 13  4  7  37-31   6   43
7. Liverpool 24 11  6  7  33-27   6   39

You're only as good as your next game

The euphoria over Saturday's victory against Arsenal has to be cast aside now, as we travel to Anfield for another tough match, which is just as crucial to Spurs' chances of making the top four this season. For Liverpool, the game carries equal importance, as they start four points behind Spurs, and really need the win to maintain their hopes of a top four challenge.

Liverpool had a disappointing 0-0 in their derby match on Saturday tea-time, but despite knocks suffered by their wonder kid, Raheem Sterling, and the in-form Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, both are expected to start this game. Lucas has been ruled out, but was an unlikely starter anyway. On the other hand, Adam Lallana is available, and may start.

Like us, Liverpool have had a busy programme in January, with the FA Cup and a Capital One Cup semi-final to negotiate. Liverpool had two good games against Chelsea, but just lost out by one goal and missed the chance to face us at Wembley. Either team would have been a re-match of a previous League Cup Final, as we beat Chelsea in 2008, but lost to Liverpool in 1982.

Unlike us, Liverpool did make progress in the FA Cup, but not without difficulty against Championship side Bolton, who got a draw at Anfield, and were 1-0 up in the replay until the last 5 minutes, when Sterling levelled, and Coutinho got the winner. The "Reds" are away to Crystal Palace on Saturday in the FA Cup, but Brendan Rodgers will field his strongest available team against us.

That team is unlikely to feature either "bad boy" Mario Balotelli, who hasn't started a game since November; hasn't featured much since Christmas, and hasn't scored since October. One of the three signings from Southampton, Liverpool born Rickie Lambert was rumoured to have been offered a loan deal in January, which doesn't augur well for his long term future at Anfield. Lambert has rarely played 90 minutes this season, and has only scored three goals.

Liverpool have, of course, badly missed the scoring power of Suarez, and Daniel Sturridge, who has missed so much of the season through injury. He is fit again now, but has yet to start a game in only three appearances since 31st January.

Another former Southampton player, Dejan Lovren, seems to have fallen out of favour recently, with only one appearance this calendar year.

Liverpool will play with pace, presented through Sterling, and Coutinho, and plenty of positive approach play, but goals have not been so easy for them to come by in some of their recent games.

Liverpool do, of course, have the upper hand over Spurs at the moment, and have won the last four meetings, with an embarrassing aggregate of 12-0 in the last three. That includes this season's home game, which we lost 3-0, with Rodgers out-thinking Pochettino tactically. Sterling was given freedom in an attacking central midfield position, supporting both Sturridge and Balotelli. It was Sterling who gave Liverpool an 8th minute lead, and the game was over after an hour, when Moreno scored their third goal.

The least said, the better, about last year's away game, when Kaboul set us on our way to a 4-0 defeat with an own goal in the second minute. Suarez, Coutinho, and Henderson completed the rout.

As for Spurs, Pochettino again has a full squad to pick from. Energy levels will be monitored carefully after Saturday's exertions, but I anticipate little tweaking from the team which played Arsenal. Perhaps Chadli will start, with Eriksen in the middle, and maybe there will be a place for Stambouli. The ideal for me would be for Eriksen to be playing centrally, and Chadli on the left. I'll leave it to Poch!

A win would be a fantastic result, putting us 7 points ahead of Liverpool, and into third place overnight. That's a dream result though, and I think we would be well satisfied with a draw. I've gone for a 2-2.

Spurs have a full week off after this game, before they face Fiorentina in the Europa League Round of 32. Liverpool face our Group winners - Besiktas.

The match referee will be Phil Dowd. On the down side, he was in charge when we lost 3-0 at home in August. On the plus side, he officiated when we beat Chelsea 5-3 on New Year's Day!

COME ON YOU SPURS!

· 10 years ago this week, Spurs beat West Brom 3-1 in an FA Cup 4th Round replay. Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe (2) scored our goals.

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