Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur: 6 X-Factors to Watch for at Anfield

B/R's Will Tidey recently claimed in his Chelsea vs. Manchester United predictions that Chelsea vs. Manchester United would be the "Premier League game of the weekend." He was wrong.

Though both teams are collectively ranked higher than Tottenham and Liverpool, they're also much more boring. And with Chelsea in poor form as of late, you can bet that they'll be holding on for a close 1-1 draw.

Liverpool will be out for revenge, and with their current run of form, they'll be quite confident of getting it at home. Tottenham won the first leg of this match 4-0 at White Hart Lane, but any Liverpool fan will tell you that the two red cards picked up by Liverpool in the game nullified the significance of that result.

Before we get to the predictions (which I'll bring to you later on), let's take a look at the six "x-factors" for this game.

Andy Carroll

Luis Suarez's eight-match ban seems to have finally given Carroll the freedom and confidence to play at his best. 

Though he didn't get on the score-sheet against Manchester United in the FA Cup, he did deliver the game-winning assist for Dirk Kuyt to score, and against Wolverhampton Wanderers he opened the scoring, finding the net for the first time in 12 games.

But with Luis Suarez due to return from his eight-match suspension, what should Kenny Dalglish do with Andy Carroll? 

The partnership has not proven to be a productive one in the past, and Kenny Dalglish has at least a couple of other forwards (one of which will be mentioned later on) who are also on-form, and probably deserve a starting position.

It's not certain that Andy Carroll will start, especially since Tottenham's defenders are a class above those at Wolves, but if he does, his play up top will go far in determining whether Liverpool leave this match with three points, one point, or none at all.

Luis Suarez

As already mentioned, Luis Suarez will be making his return for Liverpool against Tottenham, and considering the amount of skill he brings to the team, I fully expect him to start.

The talented Uruguayan struggled to create anything against Tottenham in the team's first match-up, but with his teammates in good form, chances are he'll be much more successful this time around.

The big question with Luis Suarez is where to play him. Last week, Liverpool's 4-3-3 helped the club record one if its more impressive results of the season, with all three forwards scoring.

With Luis Suarez back, it likely won't be possible to play a 4-3-3, as Suarez is usually given the role of playing behind Andy Carroll or as his only partner.

Luis Suarez's tactical positioning, as well as his in-game play, will have huge bearings on the result of this match.

Craig Bellamy

I considered talking about Dirk Kuyt here, but I'm inclined to agree with my B/R colleague Dan Patterson's opinion here.

It's great that Dirk Kuyt has scored two goals in his last two games, but they were more opportunistic finishes than signs that he's back to being the predatory striker he's been in previous seasons. I'd be surprised to see him on the scoreline at the end of the game.

Craig Bellamy is a different story. 

I can't imagine where Liverpool would be this season without Bellamy.

He's now scored four goals in his last four Premier League starts, and it would be ridiculous at this point for Kenny Dalglish to return him to the role of super-sub. 

Even with Luis Suarez back, Bellamy's quickness and fierceness on the ball makes Liverpool a different monster with him on the field, and I expect him to give Benoit Assou-Ekotto a great deal of trouble if he can avoid being pegged back by Gareth Bale on the wings.

Manchester City must surely be kicking themselves over their decision to sell Bellamy to Liverpool, and Liverpool's Damien Comolli must surely feel like an idiot to discover that his best summer signing was the one that cost him nothing at all.

Louis Saha

Believe it or not, Louis Saha's opportunity to shine may just come in Spurs' first league match with him in the squad. 

According to ESPN, Jermain Defoe is "extremely doubtful" for the match, while both Rafael van der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor are doubts for the match, after picking up calf and hamstring injuries, respectively.

That means that Louis Saha will almost definitely start, which scares me just a bit, to be honest.

Louis Saha may be able to makeup for the absence of Emmanuel Adebayor or Jermain Defoe, but not both. The last time I saw him play, it was clear that the quickness that made him famous for Manchester United and Fulham has clearly lessened with old age.

Louis Saha does seem confident, though, and hopefully if he can hold up play—and maybe even score a goal—Tottenham may be able to get something out of this match. 

Niko Kranjcar

According to Skysports, Aaron Lennon is "extremely doubtful" for the match against Liverpool.

That may be the only new injury that some Spurs fans take happily, as it means Niko Kranjcar will get another opportunity to prove his worth against Liverpool.

As I've said before many times, I rate Kranjcar higher than Lennon. Lennon is obviously more pacy, but Kranjcar is the better dribbler, has a stronger shot, and interacts in more ways with his teammates.

Kranjcar will need to play at his best if Spurs are to come out of this match with a win. He'll be playing right wing, but if Van der Vaart and Defoe are both out of action, he'll have to step up his game to fill in the vacuum of lost offensive potency left by their absence.

Luka Modric

Last time around, Luka Modric and Scott Parker absolutely bossed the midfield areas, passing circles around the likes of Charlie Adam and Lucas.

This time, he'll have to contend with Steven Gerrard and a Charlie Adam in much better form, but he and Scott Parker should still have the edge in quality.

If Luka Modric can make that difference in quality noticeable—by scoring another long-range beauty or simply maintain possession on offense—Tottenham should see their chances of getting something out of this game increased considerably. 

Prediction

Honestly, this match may come down largely to who lines up up front for Tottenham. If Adebayor, Defoe and VDV are out, and Tottenham end up starting Giovani dos Santos and/or Louis Saha up front, this match should be won by Liverpool, 2-1.

If any one of Adebayor, Defoe or VDV are fit for the match (many reports are saying that Adebayor could be fit), then they should add enough offense to Tottenham's system to pull out a 2-2 draw.

But no matter who lines up for Tottenham, there should be end-to-end action from two of the more on-form teams in the Premier League. This is the game to watch this weekend, so don't miss it!