Liverpool vs. Tottenham: 6 Reds Who Will Be Key at Anfield

Liverpool have one of their biggest matches of the season today against Tottenham.

A win will see the Reds leapfrog Arsenal and go to sixth in the table. More importantly, it means that Liverpool would be only two points off fourth-place Chelsea.

Tottenham has a lot to play for as well. With Chelsea's draw, they can go nine points above the Blues in third place and get within five points of leaders Manchester City.

Back in September, Tottenham dominated the first meeting between these two clubs. Both Martin Skrtel and Charlie Adam were sent off and Spurs won, 4-0.

The biggest side story is perhaps Luis Suarez's return from suspension.

Even with his absence, Liverpool has had arguably its best run of the season, knocking Manchester City and Manchester United out of the Carling Cup and FA Cup respectively.

A win will really give an added boost to the club's hopes for Champions League qualification. A stinging defeat, however, will have supporters questioning if Liverpool have the ability to actually compete for the fourth spot.

If Liverpool is to get anything from this match, these six men will have to make an impact.

Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson's absence in the first matchup was glaring.

To say it proved costly would be an understatement. Kenny Dalglish was forced to put Martin Skrtel at right-back.

When Skrtel got sent off, it was probably to Liverpool's benefit. He had provided almost no opposition for Gareth Bale's runs down the left flank. It's not really the fault of Skrtel because he was playing completely out of position at right-back.

That shouldn't be as much of a problem now with Johnson healthy.

Granted, defense has never been Johnson's strong suit, but he definitely provides much more speed down the right to counter any run.

There probably isn't a defender on earth who can completely stop Bale from running down the left, but it's up to Johnson to at least blunt some of that impact.

Daniel Agger/Martin Skrtel

I combine these two because together, they've become one of the more reliable centre-back combinations in the Premier League.

They play very well off each other as well. Daniel Agger is a threat to go forward while Martin Skrtel is your typical hard man who will really get stuck into a tackle.

Their main job will be to mark Emmanuel Adebayor, Jermain Defoe or both out of the game.

Adebayor hasn't scored a league goal since December 22. That doesn't mean he's less of a threat, though. If anything, it makes him more of a threat because you have to expect that sooner or later, he's going to find the back of the net.

He scored two goals in the previous matchup.

Adebayor has been the preferred striker all season for Harry Redknapp so it's hard to see Tottenham lining up with Defoe and Adebayor together.

Defoe has seen limited time this season, and while he has performed well in the games he's played, it's often been against lesser opposition.

However Redknapp lines up his side, it will be up to the combination of Agger and Skrtel to maintain the strong defensive record Liverpool has managed to compile.

Charlie Adam

Charlie Adam had a bit of an ignominious appearance in the first match against Tottenham this season.

It was probably his worst showing as a Red as he got sent off 28 minutes into the match.

Liverpool had already had their backs against the wall following Luka Modric's wonder goal, but the sending off all but sealed their fate.

It was a little surprising that Liverpool failed to bring in even a temporary replacement for the injured Lucas. It's against a team like Tottenham when a player like him is most needed.

Spurs have arguably the best midfield in the Premier League, and in order to get anything from the match, Liverpool will have to disrupt Tottenham's attack in the midfield.

That job will probably fall to Adam. While he doesn't line up as a defensive midfielder, he has been tasked a bit with dropping deeper and playing as more of a ball-winner.

Especially with Steven Gerrard in the lineup, you'll probably see Adam getting forward less and less as he stays in the center of midfield.

Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard was rested in last week's win over Wolverhampton.

That means he'll be fully fit for today's clash against Spurs.

His return from injury back in December couldn't have come at a better time for the club. Liverpool had really been lacking a midfield threat who could get forward and be a creative force.

When Gerrard came on as a sub against Newcastle, you could see the improvement in the team.

Charlie Adam had been a solid option in the attack, but he isn't able to provide the same kind of service that Gerrard can.

Once again, Spurs' biggest strength is their midfield.

It will be key for Liverpool to be able to hold the ball up for as long as possible to keep it away from Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart.

Also, Steven Gerrard is the kind of player who can lift an entire team up by his performance. If things start to go badly for Liverpool, even in the slightest, Gerrard can almost single-handedly turn the match around.

Andy Carroll

The stars aligned, the heavens shined down upon us and world peace was obtained. Andy Carroll finally scored a goal.

It was actually his third goal of the season, but it felt like the last time he scored was when Liverpool lifted its first European Cup in 1977.

It's actually been a fairly good run of form for the £35 million striker. His goal against Wolves followed his assist on Dirk Kuyt's winner against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

While his on-pitch demeanor has been a bit lacking, Carroll seems to be regaining a sense of confidence, and there are few things more dangerous on the pitch than a striker with a lot of confidence.

If Andy Carroll has another solid performance today, it could affect Liverpool's season even more than the return of Luis Suarez.

Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez makes his return following an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

However, Suarez's potential impact in this match is in question. There is some speculation as to whether he will start or come on as a substitute.

It's hard to see him getting right back into the starting XI because, while he has been Liverpool's best attacking option, he hasn't played a competitive game since December 26th.

Plus, Andy Carroll has actually performed well as a lone striker in the past couple of matches. He assisted on Dirk Kuyt's winner against Manchester United and scored a goal against Wolverhampton.

There's no doubt that Liverpool are a much better team with Suarez on the pitch.

The combination of Craig Bellamy on the left, Carroll as the lone striker and Kuyt on the right has proved to work pretty well for Liverpool in the last few weeks.

No one else, though, can provide the immediate attacking impact that Suarez can.

He will play a role in this match, but how much is up to Kenny Dalglish.