Tottenham vs. Liverpool: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool's meeting at White Hart Lane this Saturday lunchtime was already set to be one of the bigger games of their respective seasons so far.
The contest between two top-four-chasing clubs has been given extra intrigue by Liverpool's change in managerial regime during the international break. So long, Brendan Rodgers; welcome, former Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp.
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It was a measure of the diminished faith on Mersyeside in Rodgers' capabilities that a start that has them only one point behind eighth-place Tottenham (and three off the Champions League spots) was not enough for him to keep his job. Klopp is quickly moving to create more positive feelings around the club and team again.
"All these guys are able to play really good football and that's what they did in their past, that's the reason they are here," the new manager told Liverpool's official website. "I told the players I'm here because Liverpool is a great club, but also I'm here because of them, because I have a feeling I can help these guys."
Speaking at his own press conference, Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed Klopp to the Premier League and wished him "all the best for him after Saturday." However, he was understandably keen to talk more about his own team than their much-talked-about opponents.
"You know always you want to impress your manager, when a new manager arrives you want to give your best," the September Premier League manager of the month said of Liverpool's potential boost. "But it is not a worry for me, we need to stay in the same mental level."
That level has seen Spurs go unbeaten in the league since the opening day, recording a notable 4-1 win over title hopefuls Manchester City in the process. Turning some of those draws that have denied them a loftier position into wins will be on the agenda now as they attempt to truly push on from here.
Ideally, Pochettino will want his team to begin with Liverpool. Perhaps catching Klopp and his inherited side in the same foundation-building status that contributed to Spurs being comfortably beaten early in his reign the last time the two clubs met in N17.
Date: Saturday, October 17
Time: 12:45 p.m. BST/7:45 a.m. ET
Venue: White Hart Lane, London
TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK only)/NBCSN (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport app or online (UK only)/NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Form Lines
| Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool |
| Premier League, October 4: Swansea City (A)—Draw: 2-2 | Premier League, October 4: Everton (A)—Draw: 1-1 |
| Europa League, October 1: Monaco (A)—Draw: 1-1 | Europa League, October 1: Sion (H)—Draw: 1-1 |
| Premier League, September 26: Manchester City (H)—Win: 4-1 | Premier League, September 26: Aston Villa (H)—Win: 3-2 |
| Capital One Cup, September 23: Arsenal (H)—Loss: 1-2 | Capital One Cup, September 23: Carlisle (H)—Win: 1-1 (3-2 on penalties) |
| Premier League, September 20: Crystal Palace (H)—Win: 1-0 | Premier League, September 20: Norwich City (H)—Draw: 1-1 |
Team News
Pochettino confirmed on Thursday Tottenham are still without Nabil Bentaleb, Ryan Mason and Heung-Min Son. The midfielders are a little closer to a return than the South Korean, but the Argentinian still hopes to have Son back within the month.
Eric Dier is suspended after receiving his fifth booking of the season against Swansea. As announced last week by the north London club, Alex Pritchard is out until January following surgery on his lingering ankle problem.
Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino will not be ready in time for Liverpool, though Klopp is hopeful they may be back next weekend.
The big news at the German's first pre-match press conference was the confirmation defender Joe Gomez did suffer an anterior cruciate ligament injury on England under-21 duty.
There was unfortunate news to come later when it was announced Danny Ings would miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury of his own, per BBC Sport. The striker had enjoyed a good run of individual form, notably scoring in the recent Merseyside derby, and was a call-up to the latest England squad.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham's biggest selection issue revolves around who comes in for the suspended Dier.
"You always want to have all players fit and available to the side to pick, but this is football and we need to accept the situation," Pochettino reasoned, discussing the defensive midfielder's absence. Yet given the steel Dier has brought to his team this season, he will be disappointed the player is not on hand to help Spurs keep the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge quiet.
With Bentaleb and Mason injured, Mousa Dembele is likely to be the man called in to play alongside Dele Alli in central midfield. Injury ruled the Belgian out for the entirety of September, but he did return to make a substitute appearance in the 2-2 draw with Swansea City.
He and Alli will make for a dynamic and skillful midfield partnership. Pochettino will count on the older Dembele to ensure Liverpool does not get too carried away offensively. Protecting the Spurs defence will be the priority.
Speaking of which, the north Londoners back five (including goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris) is likely to remain unchanged for the fifth consecutive league match. With Harry Kane up top, the only other room for manoeuvre will be in who starts in attacking midfield.
The tried and mostly trusted trio of Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela may well be kept on since recent starter Son is still out. Clinton Njie and Andros Townsend are the pacier alternatives if Pochettino wants a little more directness approaching the final third.
As Bleacher Report contributor Jonathan Wilson discussed this week (above), plenty will be watching Liverpool wondering what kind of resemblance they may bear to Klopp's Borussia Dortmund side.
Injuries to Gomez and Ings—two of Liverpool's more encouraging performers this season—have limited what the manager has to work with right from the beginning. Benteke and Firmino's absences also mean there is less option to mix things up in the final third this week.
The potentially lethal, but still raw, Divock Origi's development with Klopp here will be well worth keeping an eye on. Against Spurs, Liverpool's attack will likely be about Sturridge and creating the shooting opportunities that were lacking in the Merseyside derby last time out.
An attacking midfield trio of Coutinho, Adam Lallana (highly praised by his former Saints boss, Pochettino, this week) and Jordon Ibe behind the striker would make for a positive statement of intent. An attempt to generate some of the consistent creativity that was lacking against both Sion in the Europa League and certainly Everton.
James Milner may find himself reverting to the wide-midfield role he primarily occupied at Manchester City at some point, but for now, his industry will not go amiss in helping to set the right tone further back. It is a toss up at this point between the versatile Emre Can and Lucas Leiva beside him.
With Klopp likely to stick with a back four, it will be most intriguing to see whom he opts for between full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno.
Tottenham Hotspur Player to Watch: Dele Alli
Without Dier besides him, there will be a reasonable burden of expectation on Alli to maintain the energetic and aggressive manner with which Spurs' midfield performed over the last month. That's a reflection of just how much the 19-year-old has impressed in his first few months as a Premier League player.
"Dele has been fantastic, a breath of fresh air," team-mate Kyle Walker told Tottenham's official website. "He’s a very exciting player, young but with both feet firmly on the ground, which is important."
Having been called up to the England squad, making his first two appearances in their final Euro 2016 qualifiers, there is an extra spotlight on Alli now.
Handling life in the top flight well so far, there is no reason to think he will not respond well. Nonetheless, his Liverpool counterparts should provide a thorough examination of where his head is currently at.
Liverpool Player to Watch: Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge did not join Alli for England's latest matches. Manager Roy Hodgson allowed the recently returned forward further time to recuperate as he attempts to make his latest comeback from injury stick.
He has held up well so far, which encouragingly suggests he still retains the sizzle that made him so integral to Liverpool's 2013-14 title challenge. After using an hour in the 1-1 draw with Norwich City to get back in the swing of things, Sturridge superbly struck twice to see off Aston Villa.
It was tougher going against Everton. He and his team-mates struggled to establish any rhythm in the face of a restrictive Toffees defence. Sturridge will hope the feelgood factor around Klopp's appointment results in a more imaginative attacking effort that sees him get more to work with at Spurs.
With so much wondering about the boss' new plans for his team, how the striker's style chimes with the attempts to implement new ideas will also be well worth noting.
Key Battle: Who Will The Klopp Hype Affect More?
If you want a strategical key battle, how Dier's absence in Tottenham's midfield affects the contest for central control could be most decisive. The north London club have not let anyone seriously dictate them in the league this season, but Liverpool may fancy their chances if they they have more free reign here.
The biggest key battle, however, may just be who comes out of this having survived the considerable hype surrounding Klopp, which Bleacher Report has not been shy in stoking either:
Tottenham will hope to use it as a motivating factor, to show everyone they have made a mistake overlooking them in all the pre-match discussions. If the Reds start strongly, though, Spurs could well fall foul to a German-inspired momentum and resurgence of which they have little power to stop...
...Or it could just be an uneventful draw in which the Kloppmania has little to no immediate effect on two sides that have had trouble putting away opponents anyway.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Tottenham win: 5-4
Liverpool win: 21-10
Draw: 12-5
Quotes and team news obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
