Title contenders Liverpool will have a very difficult exam to pass on Sunday as they host third-placed Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday. The reverse fixture was played in September and Liverpool won it 2-1 with goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino, while Erik Lamela scored a late consolation goal for the Spurs. Last season Tottenham defeated Liverpool 4-1 in London, while the reverse fixture produced a spectacular 2-2 draw. Overall, Liverpool have won three of the last six direct encounters in all competitions, while Tottenham grabbed just one victory out of those six games.
Liverpool will fight for the title until the very end, they have seven more matches to play in the Premier League this season and they are perfectly capable of winning them all. That would not guarantee them the title as they would still need Manchester City to drop a few points, but it would surely give them a solid chance. Before the international break the Reds returned to the top of the table with a 2-1 victory at Fulham, but Manchester City have a game in hand. That was the third consecutive win for the Reds in all competitions and it also extended their unbeaten run to twelve competitive matches. Trent Alexander-Arnold is an injury doubt for the home side, while Joe Gomez has returned to training and will be given a place on the bench.
Tottenham have dropped out of the Premier League title race, but now they have to make sure they stay in the top four as fifth-placed Manchester United are just three points behind them. The Spurs suffered a 2-1 defeat at Southampton before the international break, their third loss in the last four league matches. However, between those unsuccessful Premier League games Tottenham managed to grab a 4-0 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League round of sixteen and will play Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Eric Dier and Serge Aurier got injured on international duty and will be unavailable for this match, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Harry Winks are doubts.
Probable line-ups:
Liverpool: Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson - Milner, Fabinho, Wijnaldum - Salah, Firmino, Mane
Tottenham: Lloris - Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose - Sissoko, Winks, Eriksen - Alli - Son, Kane
My prediction: Liverpool to win 2-1, the Reds should have more determination and they are in better form than the Spurs.
Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:
Liverpool win - 1.61
Draw - 4.20
Tottenham win - 6.00
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