It’s a shame that Liverpool need to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League rather than the Champions League. For whatever reason, that seems to make a significant difference to their results.
The Reds can qualify from a Champions League group with a game to spare, beat Ajax home and away and hand Napoli their first defeat of the season. Premier League? Well, relegation candidates can fancy their chances of three points.
We’re not exactly sure how Jurgen Klopp manages that situation but he’ll have to find a way. All we know for sure is that Liverpool will want their best-possible XI out against a Tottenham side that will frustrate them.
Here’s what we think the boss will go for.
Predicted Liverpool lineup vs Tottenham
Defence
The luxury here is that Liverpool can rest players in midweek – we don’t expect many stars to face Derby County. Thus the first-choice defence can play here.
Alisson in goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, Andy Robertson at left-back. Virgil van Dijk obviously plays and we imagine Ibrahima Konaté gets another game alongside him.
Midfield
Liverpool reverted to 4-3-3 against Napoli and we expect Klopp to stick with it. That actually makes the trio here fairly obvious – Fabinho, Thiago and Jordan Henderson.
There’s half a chance he starts Harvey Elliott as Spurs likely sit very deep – a creative midfielder could help. We expect him to go with the experienced trio, though.
Attack
So here’s where things get a little debatable. Roberto Firmino almost certainly starts and we’d be shocked to see anyone other than Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah lineup with him.
The question is how they line up. Liverpool have used a diamond formation that saw Nunez and Salah as a front-two with Firmino playing as a traditional no.10 behind them.
But we think this will be 4-3-3. Salah wide right, Nunez wide left and Firmino as a False 9. It’s a subtle difference – really just down to starting positions – but we expect Liverpool to back the ‘exciting’ Nunez to play from the left.