IN the 1949 British classic Kind Hearts and Coronets, Alec Guinness played eight different characters. Should sacrilege ever be committed, and a remake made, surely Tottenham Hotspur have to be in contention to step into the great man’s shoes.
This season we have witnessed several incarnations of Spurs, not one of them boring, many extreme.
They have been brittle while at other times assured. They have been inventive and adventurous, then hopelessly lacklustre. Twice they have gone to Manchester and ruthlessly exposed every flaw, first authoritative at Old Trafford, then simply brilliant at the Etihad. On both occasions they flopped one week later, a pale imitation of their very recent selves.
All season long for Ange Postecoglou’s side it’s been one step forward, two back, and it’s tempting at this point to ask if the real Tottenham could stand up and make themselves known. But perhaps this is the real Tottenham? This is who they are, and will be, until the Australian adds some degree of compromise to his philosophy or makes way for another coach.
Neither looks like happening anytime soon.
And if that is indeed the case then placing any stock in their five-goal thumping of Southampton last Sunday amounts to a fool’s errand. Honestly, with their hosting of Liverpool in mind, it has all the relevance of a game played in black-and-white, with baggy shorts and ciggies smoked at half-time.
But amidst all of the unpredictability, that can often occur in-game – twice in recent weeks Spurs have built up a two-goal lead only to implode and lose – we have to factor in their latest showing. It’s almost the rules.
From the off, Spurs delighted in punishing a team on its last legs under Russell Martin. They got their work done quickly and efficiently, then saw the game out with a clean sheet. They were impressive to a man.
The two kids – Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, the latter deployed in an unfamiliar centre-back role – deserve huge credit for their solid displays, and the same applies to Djed Spence, in his first league start since time immemorial, but really it was their front four who stood out and made the difference. It’s a terrific front four, balanced and always potentially potent with Kulusevski and Son either side of Maddison at his scheming best.
Kulusevski has created 36 chances this term while Son pertinently is so regularly a thorn in Liverpool’s side, boasting six goals and an assist in his last seven meetings with the Reds.
Up front, Dominic Solanke may not, as yet, have set the world on fire since his summer move but he offers the quartet valuable shape and structure.
Going forward then, Spurs have the capacity to hurt a side with the meanest xGA in the top-flight. Liverpool have faced just 53 shots this season and that averages out at just two per half.
It’s at the back where you worry for the hosts, as they endeavour to post back-to-back wins for only the second time in 2024/25.
With Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all out, will Postecoglou once again turn to Gray, an 18-year-old midfielder to fend off Liverpool’s maelstrom of attacking options?
From August on, the Premier League’s most well-established stoppers have all flailed against Luis Diaz’s devilish, darting runs and Diogo Jota’s unerring accuracy, not to mention Mo Salah’s freakishly superb output.
What chance does a rookie player out of position have?
Moreover, if experience is opted for instead it will demand a reorganization that could weaken Tottenham, while still leaving them susceptible.
All told, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where Arne Slot’s men don’t score in North London and history backs this up because the last time they failed to do so away in this fixture was in 2015. Broadening this out, Liverpool have only lost once in their last 14 encounters with Spurs across all comps.
But the past pales in significance to the present, and a title-chasing side who last weekend showed they had plenty of substance to go with the style. Seventeen minutes in against Fulham, Slot’s men were a goal down and a man down but come the end the Kop were booing the ref for calling an end to proceedings, such was the home side’s dominance and such was their frustration at finishing honours even.
It was a rare matchday when Mo Salah didn’t get on the scoresheet but Gakpo and Jota stepped up in his place, the Egyptian settling instead for a 13th assist of his campaign.
Remarkably, he has only failed to score in back-to-back league games once in 2024/25.
So an away win is fancied in this marquee, fascinating clash, and one featuring a decent number of goals too, because Spurs versus Liverpool usually produces plenty.
To this end, don’t discount an early lead for the hosts. Tottenham after all have scored nine this term inside the opening 15 minutes. But don’t rule out either a hapless collapse thereafter.
We’ve seen a fair few of them too from a team who are all things to all men, sometimes in the space of just 90 minutes.
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