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In June 2019, Jurgen Klopp led his team to back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals and walked out as the superior side against Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur. A Mohamed Salah penalty in the opening minutes and a goal from Divock Origi in the second half were enough for the Reds to claim their sixth title in Europe's elite club competition.
A lot has happened since the last time these two met, with the two teams going in opposite directions, this season. Currently sitting 13 points behind the league leaders, Pochettino would probably give anything to avoid the clash on Sunday. Below, we take a look at the some of the factors influencing this match.
#1 – A repeat of last season
Last season, Liverpool built a lead over City only to let it slip from their hands with Guardiola’s men pouncing right on it to claim their second consecutive Premier League title. This season, with wins in all their eight matches, Liverpool had a solid eight points lead over the holders before they were held at Old Trafford and their margin was cut to six points.
Manchester United were in the driving seat with a 1-0 lead only to see Adam Lallana level the scores for the Reds late on. Liverpool saw their 17-match winning streak come to an abrupt stop and would have to be cautious not to let their six points lead diminish any further.
Also check out:Premier League Table Champions League table Champions league top scorers
#2 – Crisis time for Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur has not enjoyed the best of form this season. They are coming off a morale boosting UEFA Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade, something much needed given how their run in the Premier League has been.
Pochettino’s men saw their optimism shatter after a 2-7 drubbing by Bayern at home. They faltered against Brighton straight after the loss to the Bavarians. For a team that struggled to keep the score at 1-1 draw against Watford, traveling to Anfield might not be an ideal situation for Pochettino's charges.
The Argentine's side has been on the receiving end of some dreadful results so far and many have called for him to be relieved of his duties. Pochettino has insisted though that his team are on his side and the match at Anfield might just be the test to see the truth in that statement
#3 – Team selection headache for Jurgen Klopp
The 4-1 victory over Genk in the UEFA Champions League has given Jurgen Klopp quite a headache. With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring a brace and Naby Keita putting in a good shift, the German will have a hard time to choose his midfield. Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner are all knocking at the door too while Fabinho is certain to keep his place.
Klopp has confirmed that Andy Robertson is fine after sustaining a knock against Genk and Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return after missing out with a virus. Joel Matip could still be sidelined with a recurring knee problem with Dejan Lovren set to get the nod over Joe Gomez.
Spurs' only injury concern is that of Hugo Lloris, who will be out for the forseeable future. His deputy Paulo Gazzaniga will have a hard job at hand this Sunday.
A positive result against Liverpool will see Spurs regain confidence while Liverpool has to be cautious to try and maintain the gap they have at the top of the table.
