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UPDATE: Unfortunately the match has been postponed …

Sunday’s big game sees the clash of Liverpool v Tottenham. With Spurs under the guidance of Harry Redknapp this season, the London side have risen to fourth in the league, and have everything to play for. With England’s Jermain Defoe having a fine season up front (with 14 league goals), Redknapp seems to have installed a little sense of grit into Spurs, whereas they have always been perceived as being a little soft. That’s not to say that their season has not been without its flaws, as they have struggled badly against the big three teams in the league, suffering defeats against Chelsea, Manhcester United and North London rivals Arsenal.

But it against mid and lower table teams, where they have started to press home some advantage, and that has kept them in touch for the race for fourth spot. One of their main challengers for that final Champions League spot, should be Liverpool. The Reds are still a very long way from being a title challenger, and again their weaknesses were highlighted on the weekend in a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup against Championship side Reading. Steven Gerrard was the man again to rescue the Anfield crew, after showing some signs of brighter times by winning their previous two Premier League matches. But even those victories were not particularly accomplished. An injury time winner against Aston Villa, who were the better side, gained Rafa Benitez a valuable three points, after a labouring victory over Wolves in which Gerrard was needed to spark things off.

This is a big test for the ambitions of both teams as they look to go upwards and onwards to better times. Tottenham have only lost two of their ten away games, and Liverpool will probably be in for a tougher afternoon at Anfield than they would like. Liverpool have lost five of their ten games on the road this season, and while they have lost twice at home as well, home advantage should present a less difficult hurdle for them to overcome their woes, if they are really going to turn their season around in 2010. They need the Kop behind them. There are four points between the two teams in the league, and a Liverpool win would be a substantial landmark in the climb towards the guaranteed fourth place, which boss Rafa Benitez has promised fans.

But lack of consistency, passion and quality have dogged the Anfield club all season, and Tottenham do have the attacking prowess to punish them further. The trouble with Spurs, is that when they go down, they usually go down in style, as was witnessed in their defeats against the top three sides in the league. But still, they have played themselves into contention for a much coveted Champions League spot, and if they can win and put seven points between themselves and Liverpool, they would in a very strong position to do just that. A repeat of Tottenham’s 2- 1 victory at White Hart Lane earlier in the season, would really be a massive blow for Liverpool.

Betting Stats
Liverpool vs Spurs
Anfield
Sunday, January 10th
Kick Off: 4pm

Head to Head
Spurs 2, Liverpool 1
Liverpool 3, Spurs 1
Spurs 4, Liverpool 2
Spurs 2, Liverpool 1
Spurs 0, Liverpool 2

Last 5 Matches Goals
Liverpool – 6 For, 5 Against
Spurs – 7 For, 1 Against

Last 10 Matches Form
Liverpool – W4, D3, L3
Spurs – W5, D3, L2

Win Percentage:
Liverpool have a 60.0 win percentage at home
Spurs have a 40.0 win percentage away

Match Prices:
Liverpool to win: 10/11 at 888Sport
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Tottenham to win: 7/2 at Paddy Power

Betting Advice: Can Spurs do a smash and grab number on Liverpool again? Starting them with a plus handicap should pay off here. Liverpool haven’t got the scoring touch they had earlier in the season, and their defence is a little ropey and lacking confidence. The more attacking nature of Spurs could pay dividends, and if they are brave and get stuck into Liverpool then the home side could see a whole world of more pressure heaped upon them.
Spurs +0.50 Asian Handicap – Evens at Bet365

It is tough times for Liverpool supporters at the moment. Injury worries over your top two players, and just one win in seven games, doesn’t not make for happy reading. Steven Gerrard will again be missing from the starting eleven, as Liverpool travel to Lyon in the hope of rescuing their European campaign. Boss Rafa Benitez will be feeling some pressure as he tries to pull his Reds from the doldrums. Despite the run of bad form, they proved by beating Manchester United in the league, that they know how to win. That victory was in stark contrast to the 3-1 horror-show defeat which they suffered against Fulham on the weekend. With two players sent off, and Fernando Torres coming off early to try and protect him against injury, Liverpool were unable to build on the success of their previous league game. The recent loss has left them 9 points behind leaders Chelsea.

It was against Lyon on Match day three that Gerrard picked up his groin injury, and the club has stated that he has no chance of appearing on Wednesday night. The problems which Benitez has to overcome, is compounded by the fact that world class striker Fernando Torres is also struggling with a groin injury, and why his time was limited in the weekend Premier League fixture. There are a couple more players missing from the squad because of injury, but the Reds will be cheered that Alberto Aquilani could be back in the line-up.

With one of the richest European histories in football, the current Liverpool form is simply not good enough for the dedicated Kopites. With two straight defeats in the Champions League, they are still not out of the race though. If they can win against Lyon, it will draw them to within three points of the group leaders, and probably Fiorentina too, who should be expected to be on 9 points after Match day four. However if Liverpool lose and Fiorentina win, that would leave Lyon on 12, Fiorentina on 9 and the Reds on three. It will be a long, long way back from there, and so the recovery needs to start on Wednesday without fail.

They do not have the comfort of the Anfield crowd, but perhaps that will ease some of the pressure, by not having as much of a tense atmosphere. This is the kind of game where Steven Gerrard would stand up to be counted, but someone else needs to fill his boots. They definitely need some time on the pitch from Fernando Torres though, as there doesn’t appear to be anyone who can carry the burden of shooting the Reds to victory. Torres is a world class striker without question, but is lacking some support. Rafa Benitez needs to dig deep now to galvanise his troops, and a scrappy 1-0 win would do the job just perfectly. It is something which they are capable of doing, but Lyon are no pushovers at all. They are a dominant force in Europe, the equivalent of a Chelsea in the French League.

Lyon to win: 7/5 at Totesport
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Liverpool to win: 21/10 at Coral

Betting Advice: Of course Liverpool will be missing Gerrard and Torres (if he doesn’t make it), but that is no excuse for a club of Liverpool’s stature. Lyon are three wins from three games in the Champions League, and have only conceded the one goal. Liverpool’s goal tally stands at two, and that is the clear indicator of why they have been struggling. They now have to figure out how to stop Lyon waves of attack, and how to find the back of the net at the other end. Hopefully Torres will be fit, but even if he is, it could still not be enough. Form is one of those fickle things, and the Reds must be low on confidence in contrast to the high flying French.
Lyon to win 2-0: 10/1 at Paddy Power

After some much publicised poor form, Liverpool hit back in the best way possible last weekend, with a strong home victory over bitter rivals Manchester United. Such was their dominance on the day, that even Alex Ferguson could not muster up any excuse as to why his players had let him down so badly. They had simply been outplayed, and that is the very thing which has been afflicting a lot of Liverpool’s play over the run of recent matches. They had failed to stamp any authority on their Champions League matches, and in their last league defeat at the hands of Sunderland, they were simply outworked with desire and determination.

Fulham’s story of the season reads like a Jekyll and Hyde scenario. They can look a decent side at home, not so good away, but are not on too bad of a run of form. Over the last three matches, they have not lost a game, coming up against some opposition which are considered to be better than them. After a win against Hull, they subsequently drew with Roma in Europe, and fought their way back to tie with Manchester City. They will head into the match without striker Andy Johnson, Danny Murphy and Simon Davies.

Liverpool’s main fitness concern is over that of Steven Gerrard, but England full back Glen Johnson will also be missing through injury. Last weekend’s goal-scoring hero Fernando Torres should be fit to make a start, and will carry a lot of the responsibility of the team. Many thought that the absence of Steven Gerrard, combined of that of Torres would be the downfall of the club, and it has played a big effect during their run of four straight defeats. But as they proved against Manchester United, on their day, they can still produce. Captain Gerrard was missing from the line-up at Anfield against Manchester United.

Liverpool fielded a lot of their second string in their Carling Cup defeat against Arsenal, not having the capacity to overcome the Gunner’s youngsters. Despite the victory over Manchester, there is no getting away from the fact that Liverpool have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions. While there has only been public support for Reds boss Rafa Benitez, should another defeat pile up against a bottom half of the table team like Fulham, then there has to be pressure building up behind the scenes at Anfield.

Liverpool currently sit in sixth place in the league, on the same points as Manchester City immediately below them. They will be looking upward though, towards where they believe they should be, and see that they are six points adrift of leaders Chelsea. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have all lost two matches already this season (all away from home), whilst Liverpool have suffered double that amount already.

History is not favouring Fulham’s chances to much, as they have struggled to even manage a goal against Liverpool in the past couple of seasons. Their win against Hull amounts to only one in five league games now, and while they have been battling for draws, they have lacked that killer punch, something which has seen them do so well in their European quest so far this season. A win for the 13th placed Cottagers, would ease some of the pressure and now could be a good time to capitalise on Liverpool’s weakened, Gerrard-less midfield. Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will be hoping for goals, as they are averaging about a goal a game. Whether that one will be enough will be the big question, as they do not look fully equipped to go out and score more than two.

Fulham to win: 10/3 at William Hill
Draw: 12/5 at Stan James
Liverpool to win: Evens at Bet365

Betting Advice: If striker Bobby Zamora, the culprit of the glaring miss against Manchester City last weekend, has refocused his sights, he will be the main threat on the day for Fulham. Liverpool are a lot more vulnerable than they were last season, and the defeat against Arsenal may just have dampened spirits a little after their momentous victory over Manchester United.
Correct score 1-1: 13/2 at Skybet

Injuries to major stars are casting shadows over the Sunday clash between Liverpool and Manchester United. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, could be missing from the big Premier League clash, as the England striker has a calf injury, which means that he may not be risked for the weekend’s big game. Alex Ferguson has stated that Rooney has an uphill battle to make the starting eleven. Liverpool have hopes that Fernando Torres will be fully fit to play up front after a recent injury, and there are still doubts of whether Steven Gerrard will be available as he limped off during the Red’s Champions League loss to Lyon in midweek.

This is a crucial game for Liverpool, as they look to halt a four game losing streak, which has sent waves of discontent ringing around Anfield. There is to be a protest on Sunday ahead of the game, with subscribers to the Spirit of Shankly Group going on a march to voice their disapproval at the owners of the club. Since Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over the club, the prestigious Anfield outfit has slumped into large debts, and now, combined with the poor results, the fans are getting restless. Manchester United in contrast are in good form and will be looking to hold on to top spot in the Premier League. Closest rivals Chelsea play on Saturday, and the London side could temporarily go top by two points if they beat Blackburn. That would put some more pressure on Manchester, and add extra incentive to kick the wounded Liverpool while they are down.

Tale of the Tape:
Goalkeepers: Reina v Van der Sar. Think who you would want as the last line of defence. Despite his aging years, Edwin Van der Sar still constantly reminds the world just how good he is. He was a steal for United and has rescued them countless number of times. His back-up Ben Foster has a lot to learn in contrast to the Dutchman, and when it comes down to it, United have the edge in this department. Reina is competent of course, and has served Liverpool well, but in times of crisis you would probably back Van der Sar over him.
Man United win Goalkeeper 1-0

Defence: Clearly there needs some work doing at the back for Liverpool, as a run of four straight defeats must point to the defence somewhere. Even if it was just taken from a team point of view when it comes to defence, their duties aren’t being fulfilled. United on the other hand are stingy at the best of times. Rio Ferdinand has not looked himself since his return from injury, and while the likes of Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Jonny Evans step in, they aren’t in the same class as Rio on top of his game. Uncharacteristically United have let in far more goals at home than they have away, while it is the reverse for Liverpool. United have conceded five fewer goals in the Premier League in total. Liverpool just do not have the stand out names in their defence, depsite having two England internationals. Jamie Carragher will usually turn out a steady performance, and Glenn Johnson is more often than not blinkered in going forward and is a liability. Certainly not as cohesive as United at the back.
Man United win Defence 1-0

Midfield: Another edge for Manchester United. When you name Scholes and Giggs, then you know what you are getting. Dedicated players who have poured their heart and soul into their Old Trafford careers. They may be getting on in age, but they are vital components of a larger machine, which is the sum of all its parts. The likes of Fletcher, Anderson, Carrick and Hargreaves are not going to strike fear into opposition when they see their names on the team-sheet, but Alex Ferguson has a way of bringing out the best in players when employed in a working model. They also have a little flair in the other Portuguese winger Nani, and Ecuadorian Valencia. It may be a little unfair to say it, but Liverpool are a one man midfield. Steven Gerrard. While he is good enough to be the equivalent of two players, the only real support he gets is from Benayoun. Perhaps they do rely too much on Captain Gerrard and his absence really does highlight a problem for Liverpool in terms of drive and dedication in the middle of the park.
Man United win midfield 2-0

Strike Force: Up front is where it all counts to be honest, as goals win games. The two stand out players are both injury doubts for Sunday though. Fernando Torres is a class act for Liverpool, but, like the midfield, has to do a lot of it on his own. Dirk Kuyt has been a refreshing outlet for Liverpool since his arrival at the club, but apart from that, the striking cupboard for Liverpool is a little bare. Take out Torres and Gerrard’s contributions, and there is 11 goals of their 22 scored gone in the league. Much of the same can be said for Man United in a way. Take Rooney out of the equation and there goes the main source of goals. Liverpool have scored one more goal in the league than Man United, but United’s goals have come from a lot more players than what Liverpool’s have. Rooney is on 6 league goals, and then you have to look down the list to Berbatov and Owen for the next. It is a little hard to discern why two of the top teams are so reliant on just one striker. Tottenham for example have Defoe and Keane, Man City have Adebayor and Bellamy, Arsenal have Arshavin and Walcott (when fit), Sunderland have Bent and Jones, and Chelsea have Drogba and Anelka. Again, with Manchester United, if they have the likes of Berbatov and Owen who can chip in as part of the machine, then it can work. But losing one class striker, be it Torres or Rooney, is bound to be detrimental at some point of the season. They are the types of talent which are irreplaceable from depth. Someone else needs to carry the can.
Tied for Strike Force: 1-1

History: In the corresponding fixture last year, Liverpool beat Manchester United. In fact they beat them twice last season, and one of them was won without Torres and only 20 minutes worth of contribution from Gerrard. If there are games that Rafa Benitez will raise his troops for, then it will be the ones against United. When the Liverpool backs are against the wall, this is where, in the past they have gone against form and put in a rousing performance to breathe new hope. It is a different scenario to last season, when Liverpool were pushing hard for the title, as they are already seven points adrift of United, and another defeat would leave them with a massive 10 point deficit to try and reel in. Beach balls aside, they aren’t performing like title contenders and that will be putting pressure on Benitez. Ferguson will be wary of the wounded beast when they take to the Anfield pitch. Manchester have won five out of their last seven trips to Anfield, suffering only the one defeat, and they hold the best record against Liverpool of all English teams.

Form: Manchester definitely have the form. They are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions. Liverpool, as has been document are on a four game losing streak in all competitions. They have fallen to seventh in the Premier League are have a real uphill struggle to make it to the next stage of the Champions League. The injuries to Gerrard and Torres will play their part, more so than United missing Rooney for a few games. Manchester United though, haven’t won in their last four attempts against any of the Big Four opposition.

Liverpool to win: 2/1 at Bet365
Draw: 23/10 at Ladbrokes
Manchester United to win: 6/4 at Totesport

Betting advice: Will Liverpool be able to raise their game in front of an increasingly anxious Kop? A victory on Sunday would be more than just a moral one over a fierce rival. It would be one that would probably turn their season around. A defeat would be somewhat disastrous and they would make the task of having to pick themselves back up, even tougher. They have a midweek game at Arsenal in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, which may compound their problems. Form and quality points to a Manchester United victory, but these are the types of games where Liverpool could sneak a win. Not here though.
Manchester United -1 Asian Handicap: 33/10 at Bet365

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from the beach ball incident which ended up costing them the game on Saturday against Sunderland. The Scouse-offending ball was tossed onto the pitch by a Reds supporter apparently, and when Sunderland striker Darren Bent’s shot hit it, keeper Reina was confused by the big red ball and made a move to save it instead of the small white one. Easy mistake to make one supposes. That kind of put the sour icing on a badly made cake for Liverpool, who have not been having a great time of it of late, and this now constitutes a big week for them.

The Reds lost their last Champions League match, which was away to Fiorentina, where they were outclassed in a 2-0 defeat. That defeat left them third in Group E and now have to try and rescue their campaign a little by beating Lyon. They will be hoping that by being at Anfield, will give them an edge over the French side, who have won their opening two Champions League games. Lyon have fired their way back to the top of the domestic French league, with just one defeat so far, which occurred on Saturday. On match day two, they beat Debreceni 4-0, in contrast to Liverpool’s struggling 1-0 victory over the Hungarians.

Liverpool had somewhat of a stuttering start to their domestic season, but then started picking up. But their last three games have seen the might giants falling from grace again. Following the 2-0 defeat by Fiorentina came another 2-0 defeat, this time in the Premier League to Chelsea. Add on top of that the 1-0 defeat by Sunderland and the Reds are seriously looking to turn around form. If Tuesday night does not go well for them, then it will make their next domestic game even tougher to bear. Who do they play? League leaders Manchester United. A very big week for Liverpool.

Boss Rafa Benitez’s worst nightmare came true on Saturday. The Reds were without both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. Many questions have been raised over how strong Liverpool really are without those two, and not only the result on Saturday, but the manner in which they fell, will be concern to Liverpool fans. Sunderland displayed a lot more drive and determination to get the job done, and made Liverpool look lack-lustre and lost without their two star players. Fortunately captain Gerrard is fit enough to make the starting eleven against Lyon, but they will still be without top scorer Torres.

That makes one wonder just where the goals will come from for the English side. Four defeats in the Premier League and only one goal in two Champions League games simply is not good enough. The defeat by Fiorentina will have certainly let them know that are in a tougher group than they might have expected.

Liverpool to win: 5/6 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Blue Square
Lyon to win: 4/1 at SkyBet

Betting Advice: Certainly the Kop will be demanding a lot more from the players on the field, and if ever there was a need to raise their game, it will need to be done against Lyon. Lyon are a great side to watch, and tough to play against with plenty of Champions League savvy and know-how. They top Group E and will probably be happy enough to come away from Anfield with a draw, even though Liverpool are definitely there for the taking. Without Torres and having to pick themselves up from a severe slump in form, a win could just be a little too much to ask.
Lyon to win 1-0: 12/1 at SkyBet

Liverpool will look to build on their Match Day one home victory over FC Debrecen. Their less than impressive 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Dirk Kuyt goal, may not have been the prettiest, but they got the job done, and in the group stages, that is often important. None of the four English entrants put in a comprehensive performance in their opening matches, and Liverpool had some genuine scares against the Hungarians. Nevertheless, that is past them and the Reds are on a current 6 game winning streak in all competitions, after a slow start to the season.

Their comprehensive 6-1 thumping of Premier League team Hull on the weekend, will have bolstered their confidence. Their Italian opponents lost their opening game in the Champions League 1-0 to French outfit Lyon, and will look to their home record against English clubs in Europe to kick start their campaign. The Italians, despite only winning one home game in the Champions League since 2000, have not lost against an English side on home turf in UEFA competitions. To add to that stat, they haven’t even conceded a goal in the three matches.

Liverpool have encountered their fair share of Italian opponents in the Champions League, and their last four trips to the country, has seen then come away without having suffered a defeat. Only injury doubts are plaguing the Liverpool squad at the moment, with Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun both missing from the midfield. Up front is where the battle could truly be won though, as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is in hot form, bagging himself a hat trick on Saturday, while the Viola will be without their top scorer Alberto Gilardino. They will likely be relying on ex Chelsea forward,  Adrian Mutu to lead the attack against the Reds.

Liverpool have scored 18 goals in six matches now, and the mainstay of the team is still Torres and midfield general Steven Gerrard. Fiorentina will know that they have to find a way to shut those two out of the game, in order to compete. Liverpool look the more accomplished team at the moment and are in sparkling form. Fiorentina won their Serie A match on the weekend, a 1-0 win away at Livorno. They have only lost once this season in the league, and they currently sit in fourth place in the Italian league, just two points behind leaders Sampdoria, who they recently beat comfortably 2-0.

On the English domestic front, Liverpool moved themselves up to third spot, thanks to their six of the best display against lowly Hull. They seem to be gathering some pace after their two early league losses, and will head off to Italy without any reservation about the task in hand.

Liverpool to win: Evens at Totesport
Draw: 5/1 at Stan James
Fiorentina to win: 7/2 at BetFred

Correct Score Prediction 1-1: 6/1 at Boylesports

Betting Advice: Liverpool look irresistable going forward at the moment, but they are prone to defensive errors. Fiorentina are probably a better side than people give them credit for. They may be effected by the loss of Gilardino, but they could comfortably maintain their good record against English teams if they keep Torres quiet.