Tottenham v Liverpool – Can Arne Slot Edge Closer to His First Trophy? | OneFootball

Tottenham v Liverpool – The EFL Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg Preview

Date – 8th January 2025

Venue – White Hart Lane

Kick-off – 20.00

After the snow and rain-soaked disappointment of the match against Manchester United on Sunday, Arne Slot can now turn his attention away from Premier League competition and focus on the first attainable trophy of the season. Contrary to what Mikel Arteta may suggest, the Community Shield does not count as respectable silverware. Tottenham is currently facing an injury crisis, and after Liverpool defeated them 6-3 at White Hart Lane just a few weeks ago, the Reds will now return for the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final encounter.

Tottenham Hotspur Availability

Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven are all injured for this game. Destiny Udogie, Radu Drăgușin, and Fraser Forster will undergo late fitness tests to determine if their recent ailments have cleared up. Pape Sarr and James Maddison are suspended.

In terms of recent form, the Lilywhites lost at home to Newcastle with a narrow score of 1-2, following a 2-2 draw with Wolves at White Hart Lane and a 1-0 loss away to Nottingham Forest. After playing 20 games in the Premier League, Spurs have a disappointing total of 24 points and are currently sitting in twelfth place.

The predicted lineup for the home team, using a 4-2-3-1 formation, is as follows. Ange Postecoglou will have to continue patching up his defensive line, but the strongest available eleven will start the game:

– GK: Fraser Forster

– RB: Pedro Porro

– RCB: Radu Drăgușin

– LCB: Archie Gray

– LB: Sergio Reguilón

– CM: Lucas Bergvall

– ACM: Dejan Kulusevski

– CM: Yves Bissouma

– RW: Brennan Johnson

– CF: Dominic Solanke

– LW: Son Heung-min

Liverpool Availability

Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, while Dominik Szoboszlai may only make the bench after a recent illness.

The Reds’ recent league form has been impressive before their 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Anfield, having secured an outstanding 5-0 win away to West Ham. This significant win came after a 3-1 victory at home against Leicester and followed their 6-3 defeat of Spurs. With 19 games played so far, Liverpool currently tops the Premier League standings with an impressive total of 46 points.

Here is the lineup I expect Arne Slot to field for this highly anticipated encounter. The team will be nearly full-strength with the FA Cup tie with visiting Accrington Stanley at the weekend. Although Ibrahima Konaté will be fit for the match-day squad, I expect to see Jarell Quansah starting alongside his captain, Virgil van Dijk.

– GK: Caoimhin Kelleher

– RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold

– RCB: Jarell Quansah

– LCB: Virgil van Dijk (c)

– LB: Kostas Tsimikas

– CM: Alexis Mac Allister

– ACM: Curtis Jones

– CM: Ryan Gravenberch

– RF: Mohamed Salah

– CF: Diogo Jota

– LF: Luis Díaz

How Will This Contest Play Out?

Liverpool is expected to make life uncomfortable for a Spurs backline missing key starting players. The introduction of Diogo Jota will provide a more clinical edge, while the home side will rely on Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski to apply pressure on the visitors. The fact that Arsenal lost 0-2 in their first leg against Newcastle will surely intensify Arne Slot’s desire to make the final.

Player to Watch: Diogo Jota

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Tottenham 2 – 2 Liverpool