Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is likely to return to the Liverpool
team after missing out in the midweek victory over Wolves. Gerrard was substituted off during the Man Utd victory after
tiring – the player having had a hectic spell in the team since his long
awaited return from injury at the end of December is set to make a return to
the starting lineup against Spurs on Monday night.
The Reds
must try hard as they can to overturn a recent run of defeats against the
visitors, Liverpool have lost all their last three encounters against Spurs in
the Premier League. A back-to-back defeat last season and losing its first game
this season four nil at White Hart Lane, a match that Liverpool started poorly
and ended up with 2-man shot. In other
to pick up all three points at Anfield on Monday Liverpool must try and
replicate their recent run of form against United, City and Bolton into this
game.
Tottenham,
are currently occupying the third spot with 49 points as against Liverpool’s 6th
position with 38 points, both teams are chasing a top four finish but Spurs
Manager, Harry Radnapp is very optimistic of grapping the top spot. This match
is very crucial for both team as Liverpool are on the brink of making it up
into the top4 this season whiles Spurs want to keep the recent form into play
as they chase the top spot.
Liverpool will also
be keen to end a run of three consecutive defeats suffered at the hands of
Spurs (home and away) and in doing so, prevent Spurs from claiming their first
league double over us since the 1986/87 season.
Spurs have changed their personnel somewhat during the
January transfer window, adding Louis Saha (aged 33) and Ryan Nelsen (34) to
their ranks, while letting Steven Pienaar (29), Sebastien Bassong (25) and
Vedran Corluka (25) leave on loan and Roman Pavlyuchenko (30) sealing a
permanent move to Lokomotiv Moskow , as Harry Redknapp builds for the long-term
in classic ‘Arry style.
Despite the plethora of names linked with moves to Liverpool
in January, no new first-team players were added to the squad but the return of
Luis Suarez following his eight match ban to competitive action is like a £50m
attacking tour-de-force added to the team, to complement the in-form Craig
Bellamy, Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt. Liverpool suddenly don’t look like a team
in desperate need of a new striker.
Special mention
must be given to Dirk Kuyt who scored his 50th league goal for the club against
Wolves, putting him joint 30th on
Liverpool’s leading league goalscorers list, while he is also ranked in 30th outright on our all-time goalscorers
list (69 goals in all competitions), whilst not forgetting he is ranked in 5th place on our top European goalscorers
list with 15 goals.
He may have had a poor first half of the season by his
standards but he hasn’t lost his knack for scoring important goals which should
not be overlooked. Striker Luis Suarez returns from an eight-match suspension
and will go straight back into the squad. The Uruguay international has not
played since Boxing Day and is likely to be given a place among the
substitutes.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
·
Spurs are looking to complete a
Premier League double over Liverpool for the second consecutive season.
·
Liverpool have won just one and lost
four of their last five Premier League meetings with Tottenham.
·
Tottenham's 2-0 win last May was
their only Premier League victory in 17 visits to Anfield.
Liverpool
·
Liverpool are unbeaten in the league
at Anfield this season but have been held to seven draws - the club's most ever
at this stage of a top-flight campaign.
·
Jamie Carragher has scored three
Premier League goals for Liverpool - equal to the number of own goals he has
scored for Spurs against Liverpool.
·
Their tally of 14 Premier League
goals at home is their fewest at this point in a season since 2001-02.
·
Craig Bellamy has scored in each of
his last four Premier League starts - a total of five goals.
·
Kenny Dalglish has won five and lost
five games against Spurs as a Premier League manager.
·
Daniel Agger is in line to make his
100th Premier League start.
Tottenham
·
Tottenham have scored in their last
22 Premier League games, the longest run by any club within a single season
since 2007-08.
·
Harry Redknapp has won just two of
28 Premier League visits to Merseyside.
·
Spurs' tally of 49 points from 23
games is their best ever in the Premier League.
·
Emmanuel Adebayor has scored three
goals in his last three Premier League games against Liverpool.
·
Gareth Bale is set to make his 100th
Premier League appearance.
·
Spurs have drawn 199 games in the
Premier League era.
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