Tottenham vs. Liverpool: Early Season Match Must Win for Each Club
The last match for each Tottenham and Liverpool wasn't representative of what either team had done in the early Premier League season.
In the case of Tottenham, that's a good thing. They had been handily defeated in two EPL contests and hadn't managed much better in surrounding matches.
So, their 2-0 win over the Wolverhampton Wanderers was obviously big for the season. Still, they came back and managed only a draw against PAOK Salonika in the first round of Europa League play.
For the Spurs, it's important to come out and show well against Liverpool. While Liverpool would appear to be the better team, it's important for Tottenham to not get embarrassed on their home field.
Even if they don't win, a strong showing is a must. In reality, any loss is a big step back in whatever progress the club has made in recent matches. They might be able to get by with a hard fought, close loss, but even that's pushing it.
Yes, the season still has a long way to go, but that's just not the start that you want.
In the case of Liverpool, they need to get back going in the right direction. They started the season off 2-0-1. Included in that was a big 2-0 shutout of Arsenal.
But in their last match, they endured a tough 1-0 loss to Stoke City. Again, a loss wouldn't appear to be the end of the world.
Still, it's important to come back strong and head back in the right direction.
Even though their recent history against Tottenham hasn't been great, this is a match that they should win. The fact that they're the road team isn't enough of a reason to think that they should lose.
Of the two teams, they can afford a loss a little more. It only makes sense that the team who's performed better can withstand a loss better than their counterpart.
Still, losing here would only be a step back. Obviously, a loss is hardly ever a step forward.
The season is still early, but this match is about as close to "must win" as there is at this time of the year.
Tottenham needs to keep moving in the right direction while Liverpool needs to show that the loss to Stoke is not a reflection of the entire season.
