Premier League: Thomas and Arnie in a Christmas Rush for Points

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool

11^th hosts seventh in a fascinating pre-Christmas clash when Tottenham Hotspur welcome Liverpool to North London on Saturday.    

In recent history, Premier League: Tottenham vs Liverpool wouldn’t normally be a mid-table tussle but this season both teams are in a kind of transition. In the post-Kane and Son era Tottenham have a new manager in Thomas Frank, while 2025 champions Liverpool spent over £400m in the summer to refresh their title-winning team. 

Neither club has had it easy this season; Arne Slot’s Liverpool have attracted an unhealthy number of negative headlines as the Dutch head coach tries to integrate a plethora of new talent and keep his existing stars, particularly Mo Salah, happy. And results haven’t been great either as the Reds are already ten points behind league leaders Arsenal. Meanwhile, Tottenham are struggling to make a move on the top four though, under new boss Frank, they are sure to significantly improve on last term’s 17^th place finish. 

Spurs are only four points behind the Reds and a win would catapult them up the table, while a victory for Liverpool could lift Frank’s team as high as fourth place, with current occupants Chelsea away to Newcastle in the early Saturday kick-off. 

There is plenty at stake and there won’t be much Christmas cheer in Tottenham at 5-30 pm on Saturday…but which team will come out on top?             

 

Talking Points

Frank needs a reaction 

The Spurs job brings with it a serious amount of pressure and Frank was under no illusions when he switched from Brentford in the summer. He made a good start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but for every step Frank has moved forward he is then pushed back with a setback. And, after picking up impressive wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague, his team totally threw one in last weekend, losing 3-0 away to Nottingham Forest.  

Spurs have lost three of their last five league games and now Frank needs to see a reaction, but he will have to take on Liverpool without influential midfielder Pape Sarr who is away with Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, while Yves Bissouma has joined up with Mali. Frank may have some good news with Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai both back in training and they could play some part against Liverpool.    

The pre-match Tottenham vs Liverpool betting odds say this will be a tough ask for the hosts; but Frank’s team has finally become strong at home in recent weeks, winning three, drawing one and losing one of the last five on home turf.   

 

Szoboszlai setback for Liverpool

Much of the rumblings around Anfield have centred on the saga of Mo Salah, who recently expressed, rather publicly, his unhappiness at Liverpool over recent weeks. Well Salah is off to AFCON and so Slot can concentrate his efforts on the players still available. But the group to face Spurs looks unlikely to include Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who picked up an ankle injury during Liverpool’s clash with Brighton last week. Prior to his late substitution, Szoboszlai was one of only two players to play every minute of the Reds’ Premier League campaign and he will be a big miss, unless he makes a speedier than expected recovery. 

On a brighter note for Slot, wingback Jeremie Frimpong looks to be close to a return having been sidelined with a thigh issue, and he can add more creativity on the flank.     

 

History 

Of the last 67 meetings Liverpool have won over 50 per cent of the games with a tally of 36 to Spurs’ 15 wins and there have been 16 draws. There has been a closer battle in North London where Tottenham are edging it by 14 victories to 13 and there have been seven draws. But the Reds have handed the Londoners some serious hammerings over the past couple of years, winning 5-1 and 4-0 at Anfield, and 6-3 in a spectacular meeting at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium on the 22^nd December last year.        

While historical Tottenham vs Liverpool results favour the Reds, Slot’s men have been in better form of late too, with three wins, two draws and one loss from the last six games while Spurs have won two, drawn one and lost three in that time.   

 

Betting Tip

Spurs are at SBOTOP odds of 3.40 to win this clash with Liverpool at 2.00 and the Draw at 3.75 and, if the hosts do lose they will have suffered 11 league defeats at home in the calendar year…a Premier League record for the club…and one which Frank will be determined to avoid.

   

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