It’s the media’s two favourite one-man teams going head-to-head this weekend as we travel to Anfield for what on paper looks a tasty looking fixture. Bale v Suarez – some might say let’s get Tom Daley involved and start a TV series but this is no place for that sort of lazy journalism, besides, it’d be a Uruguayan whitewash as even if our Gareth took it to a tie-breaker in a Battle of The Dark Arts Luis would have biting, a World Cup punching off the line and a racial abuse charge to bring out of his locker.
Liverpool played well at White Hart Lane in November for long periods I thought even if, a bit like Woolwich last weekend they didn’t do much in terms of actually testing the keeper. To refresh your memory, we came out of the blocks quickly, Lennon tapping in at the far post after Bale’s good work on the left and then Reina did his best to win this year’s WTF-Was-That! award by being totally bamboozled by Bale’s free kick. (He’s since found himself usurped by the Lyon keeper who’s probably still attempting to punch away shadows in his living room after his encounter with our talisman.) The Reds (who chose to play in some horrible mish-mash despite the lack of a colour clash) got one back when a clearance hit Bale full in the face and rebounded over the line.
Since then they’ve signed Sturridge, who always looks decent against us, and are obviously a much better outfit making this a very tough game. To be honest it’s hard to see anything else but constant pressure from the home side with more backs to the wall stuff from us.
Injuries are always going to be a danger to a side with our current momentum and the news that Lennon tweaked something in the battering of Inter isn’t good, his pitter-patter pace is a key part of our counter-attacking threat. Aaron is normally subject to at least a couple of injuries of this type a season so we’ve done well to get to March before facing the fact once again that we have no natural adequate like-for-like replacement for him, especially now that Townsend is plying his trade in hoops. Holtby on the left and Sigurdsson on the right is the most likely change. At the back we can expect the return of Dawson and Lloris.
Most Spurs fans would take a draw I suspect and it wouldn’t be the worst of results. Liverpool are on a good run but they did get turned over at home by West Brom only a few weeks ago so if we carry on doing all the things we’ve been doing and take any chances that come our way you never know.
Michael Oliver is the man in the middle. COYS.
By MF
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
