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This Wednesday evening sees one of the biggest games of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign thus far, as Liverpool play host to Tottenham Hotspur.
Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool haven’t enjoyed as strong a start as they did in their 2019-20 campaign. But they still sit second in the table and have lost just once – that 7-2 hammering at the hands of Aston Villa.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are the current Premier League leaders. They’re unbeaten in 11 games after losing their opening match to Everton.
This game's winners will probably become the early favorites to take the Premier League crown, meaning the stakes are high. So with that in mind, here are five players to keep an eye on when Liverpool face off with Tottenham.
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#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
With only 10 goals conceded thus far, Jose Mourinho has built Tottenham into a very strong defensive side. The likes of Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, and Serge Aurier have been able to repel the attacks of Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal – so can they do the same to Liverpool this Wednesday?
The big danger-man for the Reds will likely be Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian international has largely been able to avoid Liverpool’s injury woes thus far into 2020-21, missing just one Premier League game.
And where last season saw him sharing scoring duties with Sadio Mane, this season has seen Salah become Liverpool’s primary goal threat. He’s already scored 10 goals in Premier League action – double the amount of Mane. And so if anyone can get past Tottenham’s defense, it’s him.
Salah also has history in scoring goals against Tottenham, having found the net in three of Liverpool’s past four games against Spurs. If he’s firing on all cylinders on Wednesday, Tottenham might find him hard to stop.
#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Despite some observers questioning whether Jose Mourinho could get the best of him, Harry Kane is enjoying an astonishing campaign thus far, even by his standards. Not only has he appeared in all of Tottenham’s opening 12 Premier League games, but he’s been involved with goals at a ridiculous rate.
Already, Kane has scored nine goals and made 10 assists, essentially being involved in all but five of Tottenham’s 24 league goals. And his seemingly telepathic relationship with Son Heung-min has made him even more dangerous, with the duo combining for 12 goals thus far in the 2020-21 campaign.
But Kane is more than a goal machine for Tottenham. It’s his ability to drop deep and pick up passes – whether they’re to Son or others such as Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso – that makes Tottenham the Premier League’s most dangerous counter-attacking unit.
And, of course, the England captain is more than willing to do his defensive duties too – as we saw when he cleared a header off the line in Tottenham’s October win over Burnley.
If Liverpool want to win this game, they simply have to find a way to prevent Kane from influencing proceedings. If they can’t, then Tottenham are more than capable of handing them a rare defeat at Anfield.
#3 Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
The 2019-20 FWA Footballer of the Year, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson remains a divisive player outside of Merseyside. For some, he’s the heartbeat that drives Liverpool forward from the center of the pitch. But for others, his best attributes are pointing and shouting at teammates rather than anything he does with the ball.
On Wednesday night when Liverpool play Tottenham, though, Henderson will need to be at his best in order to thrive. Liverpool are still suffering with a major injury crisis. And with the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita expected to miss the Spurs game, Henderson will be tasked to control the midfield, likely alongside Georginio Wijnaldum and the inexperienced Curtis Jones.
Wherever Henderson plays in this game, he’s likely to be tested. If he’s deployed as a more attacking option, can he be the first man to really come out on top against Spurs holding man Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?
And if he sits in a more deeper role, the likelihood is that he’s going to have to stop Tanguy Ndombele – a unique talent able to retain the ball in seemingly impossible situations – from breaking forward and starting Tottenham’s attacks. Not only that, but he’ll also be charged with keeping an eye on Harry Kane.
It seems like a tricky task for any midfielder, but if Henderson can step up and boss the center, his doubters would have to sit up and take notice.
#4 Eric Dier (Tottenham)
While Son Heung-min will also be a key man for Tottenham in this game, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on Jose Mourinho’s defenders – particularly as they’re up against arguably the Premier League’s finest attack on Wednesday.
Eric Dier has been an absolute rock for Tottenham this season. While some fans doubted his ability at center-back, the England man has thrived in the position under Mourinho. In fact, with Dier on the pitch, Tottenham have conceded just three goals from open play in the Premier League.
However, while Dier has become adept at repelling aerial attacks and is more than capable of outmuscling opposition attackers, Liverpool’s front trio promises to provide a different test entirely. The England man lacks pace somewhat – so can he manage to stick close enough to Salah and Mane to stop them bursting through to score?
It sounds over-dramatic, but this may well be the game in which we find out if Dier is the real deal as a center-back or whether he’s still got a lot to learn. If he can succeed, then this game could be Tottenham’s – but if he’s found wanting, then surely Liverpool will win.
#5 Fabinho (Liverpool)
With both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out with long-term injuries – and Joel Matip a potential doubt, too – it’ll likely be down to Fabinho to play a key role in Liverpool’s defense against Tottenham on Wednesday.
How much confidence that will fill Reds fans with is a question mark. The Brazilian isn’t a natural center-back – he’s a holding midfielder – but it’s safe to say that he’s done well in his temporary position thus far into 2020-21.
Fabinho has played at the heart of Liverpool’s defense on multiple occasions this season. And interestingly, since he moved there, the Reds have yet to concede more than a single goal in Premier League action.
However, it’s safe to say that Liverpool also haven’t faced off with a side as dangerous – particularly on the counter – as Tottenham since they were shellacked 7-2 by Aston Villa back in October. That game saw Liverpool’s high line painfully exposed, something that Jose Mourinho will no doubt have noticed.
Fabinho then will be tasked with holding together Liverpool’s makeshift defense against Kane, Son, and the rest of Tottenham’s attacking riches. If he can do that, then Jurgen Klopp may well be tempted to keep him at center-back regardless of injuries going forward.
