Tottenham Hotspur travel north to face Liverpool in the
Premier League hoping to gain themselves more points to help solidify a top 4
finish and Champions League football at White Hart Lane next season, while the
home side will be looking to finish as high as possible themselves in the hope
of securing a place in European competition next season having been knocked out
of both domestic cups and this seasons Europa League.
With what is at stake for both clubs in this game, most of
the focus and attention will be on two men, the clubs two top goal scorers this
season, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale. Both men are in exceptional form for their
respective teams at the moment and without a doubt their performances will play
a big part in how the match takes shape. Suarez is the top league goal scorer
this season having scored 21 times, his most recent additions to that tally
coming in the form of a hat-trick in his last game against Wigan Athletic. The
26 year old Uruguayan has certainly had controversy follow him in recent years
for different reasons, but putting that aside, he possesses immense quality on
the pitch and has made himself to be someone Liverpool now rely on to help them
score goals and change games for the better.
Bale had a good start to the season, but since Tottenham’s
4-0 away victory at Aston Villa on Boxing Day where he scored a hat-trick in
that game, he’s continued on a sensational run of form that has helped put
Tottenham in a position where the Champions League is a real possibility for
them next season. The Welshman has started to draw comparisons to players such
as Cristiano Ronaldo due to their similar traits and the difference they have
made to their respective teams performances in recent seasons. At only 23, Bale
still has the potential to get even better as well and the more he continues to
put in outstanding performances, the more the bigger teams will take a closer
look at him.
While Suarez and Bale will be the main men to watch at
Anfield, the other 20 players on the pitch certainly cannot be ignored. Every
defender on the pitch for both sides will have to make sure that while they try
and frustrate the key players as much as possible, they don’t lose focus on the
other players who can cause a threat to their goal. Liverpool have Phillippe
Coutinho and a returning Daniel Sturridge who can cause a threat to the Spurs
goal and also have the inspirational Steven Gerrard at the heart of their
midfield who will be driving determination into his players to make things
happen and cause their visitors problems.
Tottenham themselves aren’t lacking in attacking quality.
While Bale causes a serious threat down the left wing, Aaron Lennon also causes
problems down the right wing. Both men have the ability to make runs into the
box and make space for a shot, but both can also put balls into the danger zone
for central minded players to take advantage of. With Bale on the left, Lennon
on the right and players like Lewis Holtby in the centre, Tottenham have
creative players spread across the whole width of the pitch that will need to
be watched carefully.
The last time these two teams met was at the end of November
at White Hart Lane. Tottenham won 2-1 with early first half goals from Lennon
and Bale. An own goal from the latter in the second half gave Liverpool a
chance to get back into the game but Tottenham held on for the 3 points. This
game may well have a different story as Liverpool have had over a week to rest
and prepare for this fixture while Tottenham are just days removed from beating
Inter Milan 3-0 in the Europa League. Fatigue might well be a deciding factor
in the end result, but I don’t think it will effect what should be a quality
game of football. I predict an entertaining 2-2 draw with Suarez and Bale both
scoring at least once in the match.
Andrew.
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