“THE doctor will see you now, Mr Klopp.”
Music to the ears of the Liverpool boss whose struggling side will be hoping for a much-needed injection of a dose of confidence.
No ‘Big Six’ team has beaten another ‘Big Six’ team away from home this season.
Liverpool have not won away from home in their five matches this season, their worst away run for 16 years.
Liverpool have lost their last two Premier League matches – and aiming to avoid three away defeats in a row for the first time since 2012.
No wonder, Dr Tottenham was trending as early as Monday – a full six days before kick-off in North London at 4.30pm on Sunday.
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The self-deprecating quip aimed at Spurs by their own fans relates to the club’s inexplicable tendency to help out teams who come into matches against them hopelessly out of form.
And in Liverpool, the problems are becoming alarming.
The 2019-20 Premier League champions headed into the weekend’s fixtures – the penultimate round before the World Cup break – languishing in ninth on 16 points from 12 games.
Their goal difference of +8 is misleading because it includes that 9-0 win over Bournemouth – seemingly an anomaly of a result now.
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Mo Salah’s goals have dried up – he has just four in the Premier League since signing his mega-money contract extension.
Seven players are currently out injured – including four central midfielders plus both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
Virgil van Dijk looks a shadow of his former self – far from exuding the calm, composed demeanour of the Rolls-Royce defender of yesteryear.
Dare we call it a crisis for Jurgen’s men?
Well, if there was one team they could choose to play right now, it may well be Spurs.
Because the problems are stacking up for Antonio Conte, too.
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Yes, they earned two crucial comeback wins over Bournemouth and Marseille this week which will have helped.
But the way there were dismantled by Manchester United and Newcastle was alarming.
The fact Son Heung-min required surgery on his fractured eye socket is devastating.
And the club’s record against Liverpool is nothing short of terrifying.
Tottenham have won just one of their last 21 meetings dating back to November 2012, drawing six including the last two and losing 14.
They are winless in their last nine in the Premier League since a 4-1 win in 2017.
But the most painful of the defeats, understandably, was the Champions League final in 2019.
But forget about Champions League finals, both of these sides will be worried they won’t even feature in the group stages next season.
Spurs’ 26 points masks some very poor and tepid performances while Liverpool could end the weekend 11 points off the top four and up to 18 off the league leaders.
To make matters worse for Tottenham, Son loves a goal against the Reds and scored in his last two appearances against them but is ruled out.
And lastly, Sunday will mark a landmark day for Tottenham skipper Hugo Lloris.
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The Frenchman is set to play in his 100th consecutive Premier League game for Tottenham – only the second player to do so exclusively for Spurs since Ian Walker in the mid-1990s.
But if there is a repeat of his calamitous errors in the defeats to Arsenal and Newcastle this term, that run may well come to an abrupt end – to the delight of a significant chunk of Tottenham supporters.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
