Two of the division’s hottest managerial properties go head to head this Saturday as Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side take on Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool have messed up their 2017 already, having gone from title contenders to pretenders in a matter of weeks after a dismal start to the year where they failed to register a single win, with the solitary victory coming in a Cup replay over Plymouth Argyle. They are dangerously close to dropping out of contention for top four entirely and Klopp will be wary of that.
Spurs for their part sit in the familiar second position where they were much of last term before a last minute implosion against Newcastle United dragged them down to the third position. This season, of course, Chelsea are undoubtedly the title favourites with no team within sight of them, however it speaks well of Spurs if they do finish inside the top four consecutively.
Interestingly, Liverpool are on an eight-match unbeaten run against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League with five wins and three draws; they last went nine games without a defeat against them in March of 1998. The game should also provide its fair share of drama, as an another interesting nugget is that no other Premier League fixture has been witness to more own goals with nine embarrassing strikes recorded over the years.
Both sides have met each other 49 times in the league previously with Liverpool having the better historical record of 22 wins compared to 13 for the London side. The famous Anflied atmosphere which Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly called for this term will surely be required to overcome a high flying Spurs team with the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Moussa Dembele in it.
Pochettino will look to win this one just to make sure they stay ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal both of whom play easier games this week. Spurs know the cost of slipping up and will be looking to avoid defeat at all costs.