Liverpool vs Tottenham LIVE! Premier League match stream, latest score and goal updates today
Liverpool vs Tottenham LIVE!
Spurs head to Anfield today for a Premier League meeting which, as a matter of fact, has rather diminished in its importance in recent weeks. What was once billed as a top-four contender acting as kingmaker in Liverpool’s bid to win the title is now anything but.
Three straight defeats have left Ange Postecoglou’s men almost-certain to finish fifth, a position which will no longer deliver them Champions League football. There could be changes to the Tottenham team as a result of their bad run but James Maddison has missed out on a recall to the starting line-up due to a knock.
Liverpool’s dream of winning the league title in Jurgen Klopp’s final season is practically finished with third place now almost a mathematical certainty. Virgil van Dijk has been pronounced fit to play with Mohamed Salah back in their XI. Follow Liverpool vs Tottenham LIVE via Standard Sport’s match blog, with our reporter Dan Kilpatrick on Merseyside to provide his expert analysis.
Liverpool vs Tottenham updates
Live updates
Liverpool vs Tottenham | Countdown to kick-off
We are now within sight of kick-off with under 15 minutes to wait.
Spurs haven’t won at this ground since May 2011 when Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart provided the goals.
Let’s hear from Dan in the press box:
Jurgen Klopp gives his pre-game thoughts
Jurgen Klopp has insisted there was no doubt that Mohamed Salah would start today.
The pair clashed on the touchline at West Ham a week ago but he returns to the XI.
He tells Sky Sports: “You cannot just play against Tottenham, they’ll go through you and cause massive problems.
“[Mohamed Salah] had a good training week, that’s what we all want. There was no doubt he’d start today. That’s it.”
Full-time at the Amex
The full-time whistle goes on the south coast and Brighton have beaten Aston Villa.
That’s a nice little pre-game boost for Spurs, who sit seven points off fourth-placed Villa with two games in hand. It also guarantees Liverpool will finish at least third.
The Reds can go within four points of Man City by winning today, having then played a game more.
Why James Maddison doesn’t start for Spurs
Hearing reports that James Maddison picked up a knock in Spurs’ defeat at Chelsea in midweek, which is why he is on the bench again today.
Around the grounds
Chelsea have romped to a 5-0 win over West Ham, which puts them seventh and into the European qualification places for the first time in a long time.
Brighton have struck late to down Aston Villa via a Joao Pedro goal, a header having seen a penalty saved. Into nine minutes of injury time, that would lift them to 11th and keep Villa within touching distance-ish of Spurs in the hunt for fourth.
Rewind: VAR fumble chalks off legal Liverpool goal
Just imagine if Liverpool were on course to finish a point off the title…
Earlier this season, Luis Diaz saw a legal goal chalked off for offside after the linesman’s flag went up.
VAR declared “check complete” having failed to notice it was initially ruled out and, well, the rest is history as they say.
Re-live how it all broke down behind-the-scenes:
Head-to-head record
Spurs’ only win over Liverpool in their last 13 meetings came earlier this season, in a win marred by the Reds’ fury over a VAR error.
Liverpool wins: 89
Draws: 44
Tottenham wins: 49
Tottenham make one change
Ange Postecoglou has bolstered his midfield with a move to a pure 4-3-3 formation.
Richarlison drops back to the bench and James Maddison is snubbed in his bid for a recall.
Rodrigo Bentancur instead gets the call-up.
Virgil van Dijk starts for Liverpool
The hosts have their captain fit to start after an injury worry.
Virgil van Dijk keeps his place along with Harvey Elliott, who moves to midfield to allow Mohamed Salah to return. Ryan Gravenberch drops out as a result.
Conor Bradley is back on the bench.
How Tottenham line up
Spurs XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Royal; Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Son, Johnson
Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Maddison, Gil, Moore, Richarlison