Liverpool will entertain Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Wednesday night with the opportunity to leapfrog their opposition at the top of the Premier League table if they can secure a victory at home. The Reds are not playing their best football at the moment after back to back 1-1 draws against FC Midtjylland and Fulham respectively.
Furthermore, Jurgen Klopp has got a whole host of injury concerns with his key players like Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota out of action with long-term injuries. Even though Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be available for this clash, yet he won’t be fit enough to begin this game which means that Klopp might be forced to field the same eleven that started and looked low on energy in the league clash at Craven Cottage last weekend.
With the pressure to deliver some positive results slowly creeping up on the Merseyside giants, they could be boosted by the fact that this upcoming clash against Spurs will take place under the watchful eyes of 2000 roaring people at the Kop in midweek.
Here are three things Klopp should do to ensure that his Liverpool players emerge victorious versus Jose Mourinho’s men later this week.
Give Curtis Jones The Freedom To Get Forward
With the Reds struggling to score enough goals over the past couple of matches, Klopp should consider unleashing Curtis Jones as a free-flowing, box to box midfielder so that he can enjoy the freedom of expressing himself to the fullest in the attacking third of the pitch. Plus, the English youngster has shown a lot of growth this season, so he is more than capable of leading the Liverpool press in midfield when Spurs have the ball.
Ask Henderson To Mark Heung-min Son Out Of The Game
If Joel Matip is fit to start at centre-back, Klopp will have the luxury to play his skipper Jordan Henderson in his usual holding midfield position. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s attacking ventures could leave the Reds open and vulnerable to a Tottenham counter. Heung-min Son has mostly operated on the left side of the Tottenham attack and seems to have developed a telepathic understanding with Harry Kane up top.
For Liverpool to win, Klopp needs to ensure that he asks his captain Henderson to fill in at the back when required and do his best to mark Son out of the game if the Reds are to emerge victorious at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Hold A Deeper Defensive Line Than Usual
The reigning Premier League champions would be unwise to play a high defensive line versus Spurs, especially when both Son and Kane are in such a great run of form this season. It would be better if Klopp decides to opt for a deeper defensive line than usual as it will allow Liverpool to limit Tottenham’s chances of getting in behind them during the 90 minutes.
