Tottenham‘s flying forwards can deal Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes an almighty blow this weekend, as Anfield hosts another huge game.
The Reds reached the Champions League final on Tuesday night, following a nervy-but-thrilling 3-2 win away to Villarreal.
There is no time to enjoy that achievement, however, as Spurs make the trip to Merseyside for a Saturday evening showdown.
Antonio Conte’s side are right in the top-four race, meaning it is a massive occasion for both sides, with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in worrying form for the visitors.
Ahead of the game, we spoke to football.london journalist Rob Guest (@RobGuesty) to get his thoughts on the key battles at Anfield, as well as the thrilling title and top-four battles.
How do you assess Tottenham’s season so far?
It has been a mixed bag since August, to be honest.
Following some dreadful performances towards the end of Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure, Tottenham got back on track in November under Antonio Conte but then they were incredibly inconsistent at the start of 2022.
That inconsistency crept back into their game recently against Brighton and Brentford, but thankfully, they managed to get back to winning ways last time out against Leicester.
Spurs are bang in the race for fourth with Arsenal, although they could arguably have a Champions League spot for next season wrapped up if it wasn’t for their mixed form in January and February.
How happy are you with Conte, and do you think he’ll stay?
Spurs have one of the best managers in the game in Conte, but it remains to be seen if he will still be at the club next season.
His long-term future has been a talking point ever since he walked in through the door, with the Italian even hinting that he could quit following their defeat against Burnley in February.
His refusal to commit to the club has irked sections of the fanbase and he has also never been shy in stating that he believes he is better than the stage Spurs are currently at.
All will be hoping that he remains in north London for next season, as he has done a very good job and Spurs will only improve under him, but his future may all come down to his meeting with Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici at the end of the season.
Who have been Spurs’ three best players this season?
Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Cristian Romero have been Tottenham‘s standout three players.
Son has chipped in with important goals and assists over the course of the season, with Kane really hitting his stride in 2022 to deliver some incredible performances after such a slow start to the campaign, by his incredibly high standards.
Romero has also wowed in defence, following his switch from Atalanta, and looks set to become one of the world’s best centre-backs.
Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier and Dejan Kulusevski also deserve honourable mentions for their performances.
Which individuals have struggled?
Conte changed to his favoured 3-4-3 system after arriving at the club in November and that has seen a couple of the players try to adapt to new positions.
Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon have spent their whole career playing as full-backs, but now they are trying to adapt to operating as wing-backs.
Both have struggled going forward and that could potentially see Conte and Paratici look to address both positions this summer.
Looking ahead to Saturday, how highly do you rate this Reds side?
Very highly. The Liverpool side that won the Premier League title two seasons ago were excellent, but they have just gone up another level or two since then.
Jurgen Klopp has added even more quality to Liverpool’s attack, with Luis Diaz, who was linked with Tottenham in January, excelling so far.
It’s all about winning trophies season after season now, though, and they have the quality to do just that.
Where do you see the key battles taking place at Anfield?
The key battle will be in the wide areas at both ends of the pitch.
Spurs need to try and nullify both Diaz and Mohamed Salah, with Liverpool then having Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson offering support in attack.
It’s going to be a very tough evening for the likes of Emerson and either Ryan Sessegnon or Reguilon.
Spurs then have players such as Son and Kulusevski who can cause Liverpool big issues, with the battle between Alexander-Arnold and Son set to be a very interesting one.
Using your crystal ball, who will win the title and finish in the top four?
It will be very close in the title race, but Man City will come out on top again and reclaim the Premier League trophy.
I just can’t see where City are going to drop points in their last four games.
In terms of the top four, it may all depend on how this weekend pans out with Spurs at Liverpool and Arsenal facing Leeds at home.
I’ll go for Spurs just to pip their rivals to fourth, as I think Mikel Arteta’s men could potentially drop some points in their remaining matches.
Finally, what’s your prediction for the game?
Liverpool 1-1 Spurs.
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