Last ten years at their place(s):2009-10: 1-2 (Gerrard)2010-11: 1-2 (Skrtel)2011-12: 0-42012-13: 1-2 (Bale, o.g.)2013-14: 5-0 (Suárez 2, Henderson, Flanagan, Sterling)2014-15: 3-0 (Sterling, Gerrard, Moreno)2015-16: 0-02016-17: 1-1 (Milner)2017-18: 1-4 (Salah)2018-19: 2-1 (Wijnaldum, Firmino)This is a fixture that Liverpool have had a complicated relationship with for decades. Tottenham in North London, a game that you'd always feel is a should-win to get a title, but title challenges have taken severe dents there before. Both in 2001-02 and 2008-09 the corresponding game was lost by the odd goal, with the end result being rather devastating.It also is a game associated with rainy days and 2-1 losses with Spurs players out there playing out of their skin even back when they weren't that good. I remember Robbie Keane scoring twice in 2004 in a game that embodied how every team were able to utilize even the slightest weakness of any given Liverpool side. Another game I particularly remember was our smash and grab under Rafa in 2006-07, when after Luis García had put us ahead they ran around like busy bees the rest of the game but couldn't find a way past Reina in spite of completely dominating. It felt as though Tottenham had a downhill path to goal the way they used to play at home against us back then.Then the 2010's came and all out of a sudden, Tottenham of all clubs supplanted us from the Big Four before City did, and then we just couldn't find a way past them in the games for three years, and in the table for even longer than that. We even lost at that very ground five years in a row, which previously would've been unthinkable.Suddenly, the noisy glorified mid-table club had kneecapped our main source of income and ran away with it. Then, a certain Jürgen Klopp signed for us and managed his first game in this very fixture four years ago, ultimately ending 0-0.Now, it's a bit of a different position. Five years ago, no-one would've believed that Liverpool and Tottenham would face off in a Champions League final. After finishing adrift of them for seven out of eight seasons last decade before the corner was turned right at the end, Spurs looked to have pushed us out of contention even to play in the Champions League, let alone win number six. How fitting was it therefore, that the very nemesis that constantly finished above us without looking much better when we played them, were the team on the receiving end when Liverpool finally conquered Europe again?Since we last played them in London in 2018, a lot has changed. The Madrid final, the Pochettino implosion, the two dramatic Anfield wins and the appointment of a certain José Mourinho. As a result, the philosophy of football down there is now a long way off what it used to be. In addition, they've moved back into the same site as before they moved to Wembley, but built from scratch.Is this game a must-win? Probably not, but momentum is very much key in football. Maintaining the unbeaten run is essential in order to continue riding the wave we've been on this season. After last season's absolute mental pace and effort, I really struggled to believe we'd match the 97 points, in particular without reinforcements. The current average is then way better than what unfolded last season and our guys went and smashed the team sitting in second 4-0 away from home on Boxing Day.So, is it unnecessary to be nervous? Well, Mourinho has that ability to be a proper painful experience to play against, even though the Spurs team are in a severe transition and lack organisation at the back that he so depends on. Harry Kane is also out with a muscular injury. Still, Son and Dele Alli will be there and both have looked lively whenever Son hasn't been sent off lately. After the winning run including Madrid we've had against them, they'll be desperate to set the record straight. Even though they've frequently stumbled this season, they've put on huge fights away to both City and ourselves, so they seem to raise their game when the opposition is really strong.What will be required to win this game? Well, obviously taking advantage of the weaknesses they have. Spurs' fullbacks are a gaping hole in an otherwise rather competent team. This was proven in spades by Serge Gnabry in the 7-2 demolition, and although Mourinho sets his team up differently to Pochettino, those positions are still an issue for them. The fact that Gazzaniga is a backup keeper on a prolonged run of games is also a big difference from the Spurs teams we usually play.For ourselves then? Klopp has said that Lovren, Matip and Fabinho are all doing "really well" and as a result, could this mean one or two of them could make the bench for this one? Either way, Oxlade-Chamberlain being back is a big boost considering we've surely lost Milner from this tie, I would expect him to join Henderson and Wijnaldum in the middle of the park. Having Minamino available as an impact player off the bench is also going to be a nice boost, even though the depth defensively didn't exactly improve by Milner's injury. Unless one of Lovren and Matip make it, Henderson and Wijnaldum may well be the primary covers for every defensive position in this game.Overall, I look to this game with cautious optimism. We're usually very hard to beat against the big teams away from home and have every possibility to keep a clean sheet. Then surely, one of the front three is going to get a golden opportunity to score sometime in this game. 0-0, 0-1 to us, 1-1 or 1-2 to us are my basic predictions, but above all continuing the unbeaten run is the main priority.
22 So close to grabbing the lead there, a corner on the left, initially Bobby and Salah get in the way but then Salah manages to regain control and the ball is put across where the header is saved by the Spurs keeper.
I reckon he’d have been offside
