Liverpool entertain Tottenham Hotspur in one of the much-anticipated encounters of the Premier League season on Wednesday night.

The Reds are currently second on the board with 25 points on the board and they are just goal difference behind Jose Mourinho’s side, who have exceeded initial expectations.

Manager Jurgen Klopp has had to deal with injury concerns to key stars during the opening half of the season, but the team has coped well by staying unbeaten in the league since mid-October.

The club were recently in action against Fulham on the road where they were disappointing upfront and ended up with a frustrating 1-1 draw.

With a six-match winning streak against the Cottagers, they were fancied to pick up a comfortable win, but they were eventually lucky to get something out of the game.

Scott Parker’s side could have quite easily gone two or three goals up during the first-half. Alisson Becker, who made a comeback after injury, made some quality saves.

Ahead of the Spurs game, the Reds have suffered a further blow with Diogo Jota out for a few months with a knee injury while Joel Matip is doubtful with a back spasm.

The Reds have a terrific recent record against Spurs with five victories on the bounce, but they definitely have a challenge on their hands to extend the streak.

Spurs are coming off a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. They conceded a late equaliser as Jeffrey Schlupp scored from close range after Hugo Lloris was undone by Eberechi Eze’s free-kick.

Key Stats:

Liverpool have won each of the previous four league meetings against Spurs and three of those matches have finished 2-1 in their favour.

The Reds have lost just one game against the visitors since 2012 and that was a 4-1 defeat at White Hart Lane in October 2017.

Spurs have picked up just three points from their previous nine visits to Anfield. Their last point came via a 2-2 draw in February 2018 where Harry Kane converted a last-gasp penalty.

Kane had missed a penalty prior to that to put Spurs in front. Mohamed Salah seemed to have scored the winner with a wonderful solo goal in the 91st minute, but it was not the case.

Kane has excelled while playing against the Merseyside giants and he has scored six times in his 10 league meetings.

Salah has likewise fared well against Spurs. He has bagged four goals from seven league meetings. Across all competitions, he has netted seven times in 12 appearances.

A victory here will put the brakes on Liverpool’s closest challenger this season. With attendance at games still not an option for most fans, you can watch this and other Liverpool games live online.

Team News:

Liverpool:

Jota has obviously joined the treatment room for the Reds. The Merseyside giants are already missing the services of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Thiago Alcantara and Kostas Tsimikas due to knee injuries. Xherdan Shaqiri (muscle) and James Milner (hamstring) are also set to be ruled out for the midweek clash while Matip remains doubtful with a back issue.

Tottenham:

Spurs don’t have any major injury concerns in their squad. Erik Lamela remains the only long-term absentee with a foot problem. Gareth Bale was absent for the derby draw at Selhurst Park at the weekend, but Mourinho confirmed that it was only because of an illness. The Welshman is likely to return to the mix for the Anfield trip.

Predicted Lineups:

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Fabinho, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Curtis Jones; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Hugo Lloris; Serge Aurier, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, Sergio Reguilon; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko; Heung-min Son, Tanguy Ndombele, Steven Bergwijn; Harry Kane

Predicted Score:

Despite the setbacks, the Reds have continued to impress in an attacking point of view with the presence of their star trio of Salah, Firmino and Mane, who remain unscathed.

It won’t be easy against a well-drilled Spurs side, but the Reds will have the vast amount of possession and should edge the contest, if they are able to keep Kane and Son quiet on the counter-attack.

Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur