Tottenham v Liverpool
Saturday 26th August 2016 Kickoff 1230hrs
Football – Premier League – England
The first game of the third round of the 2016/17 Premier League is arguably the best of the lot as Liverpool travel to Tottenham in the lunchtime kickoff on Saturday. Both teams were mentioned as possible title contenders during the summer and this will be good barometer for the two to see where exactly they stand. Spurs remain unbeaten having taken four points from their first two games whilst Liverpool will be hoping to put their surprise defeat away to Burnley behind them and get back to winning ways in the league.
After coming so close to winning the league last season, Spurs had increased expectation amongst their support and the challenge is now to try and match that same standard and surpass it, if possible. A hard fought 1-1 draw away to Everton on the opening weekend was followed by a 1-0 home success against Crystal Palace last week. Victor Wanyama was the hero as he scored a late winner on his debut but the margin of victory should have been much bigger and did not reflect the home team’s domination. The visit of Liverpool represents a different challenge in that they have not faced a team with the same attacking variety as what the Reds possess but if the first two games are anything to go by then it looks like Tottenham will be as strong at the back as they were for the majority of the last campaign when they had the joint best defensive record – despite losing five goals on the last day of the season against an already relegated Newcastle team.
Other than a half hour spell in the second half against Arsenal a fortnight ago, you could be forgiven for thinking that Liverpool still have some way to go to reach the level expected of the top teams in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s men looked well off the pace in the first half at the Emirates but they proceeded to blow the Gunners away with three goals in 15 minutes, and the quality of the goals served as an indication of what the Reds are capable of. A sloppy finish to that game combined with a terrible performance and result last weekend away to Burnley was a reminder that there is some huge improvement required if Liverpool are to challenge the Manchester clubs and Chelsea, amongst others. Klopp’s philosophy is well known but that also creates problems as opposition mangers know that they need to be able to combat the high press which Burnley were able to do very effectively, and it resulted in Liverpool struggling to get possession in the areas they usually do, creating fewer clear cut chances as a result. Klopp will be expecting this week’s opponents to be more adventurous in their approach which should allow his players more joy in the attacking third. They certainly dusted themselves off in midweek as they rattled five past Championship side Burton in the EFL Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino has resisted the temptation to make massive changes to the play squad which is a further demonstration of his style and manner. The Argentinean believes in developing younger players and building a sustainable structure for the club to be successful in. Wanyama and Vincent Jannsen have been the two big name arrivals over the summer, providing depth to areas of the squad that were lacking in the last campaign. Harry Kane was again the club’s main source of goals but he will be all the better for the support Jannsen provides whilst Wanyama worked under the manager at Southampton and will provide a presence in the middle of the park that was definitely missing at key stages last season. Aside from those additions, it’s currently the same team but there is talk of further transfers in and out so the last week of the August is expected to be a busy one for Tottenham.
One of the key reasons as to why Liverpool struggled so much last week was the absence of Saido Mane. Signed from Southampton in the summer, Mane’s pace and power was a key factor in Liverpool’s dizzying second half spell against Arsenal but a minor knock meant he missed the trip to Turf Moor and it showed. When Klopp’s teams press they require an attacker to take advantage of any turnover by stretching the opposition immediately. Mane was signed to perform that exact role so without him it left the Reds pretty toothless in attack. He returned to the starting line-up on Tuesday against Burton and picked up where he left off by scoring and creating goals. His inclusion on Saturday against Spurs will be a major asset and will likely benefit the team as a whole by not only giving them a better outlet but being able to react better to potential attacking situations.
Tottenham v Liverpool Betting Tips
This fixture was last season was played in October and was Jurgen Klopp’s first game in charge of Liverpool. Ten months on and the manager is probably still attempting to find his best starting eleven as he bids to close the gap on the teams likely to be battling it out for the title. Spurs have gone from strength to strength under Pochettino but have to improve their record in the games against the top five or six Premier League clubs if they are to mount another title challenge in what is expected to be a more difficult league all in this season.
Saturday will see a clash of two styles as Tottenham’s possession based game will come up against the cut and thrust of Klopp’s Liverpool. It should make for a fascinating encounter and hopefully an entertaining one at that. The visitors main strength is without doubt going forward but they were nullified in attack against Burnley last week so will have to vary it more against a very well drilled Spurs defence. I can see these teams being very evenly matched throughout the season and Saturday should be no different. In terms of a selection, it is hard to see how there won’t be goals with so much attacking quality on the park. Liverpool do not convince in defence but with Mane back in the fold they carry a much greater threat at the other end so go with over 2.5 goals.
Over 2.5 goals 4/5 @ Betfair
