Everything on... Liverpool

Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool will face us at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm) with another thrilling contest on the cards if last season’s meetings are anything to go by.

We stormed out of the blocks in the corresponding fixture last term with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son on target inside 12 minutes and, although Mohamed Salah pulled one back, went on to win 4-1 with Dele Alli and Kane striking either side of the interval.

The return fixture at Anfield was equally pulsating with Victor Wanyama and Kane scoring in the final 10 minutes to earn us a 2-2 draw.

Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents this weekend…

Team news

Midfielder Adam Lallana has been ruled out of the game due to injury, but Simon Mignolet is fit to take his place in Liverpool’s matchday squad.

Lallana had to withdraw from England duty due to a groin strain last week and while the issue is not serious, it will keep him out of the Reds' visit to Wembley.

Goalkeeper Mignolet picked up a hand injury with Belgium, but has returned to full training this week. A pelvic injury has kept Dejan Lovren on the sidelines since the start of the season while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could miss the entire campaign with a knee injury.

One to watch

All eyes may have been on Salah after his outstanding first season at Anfield but it is Sadio Mané who has hit the ground running for Liverpool this time around.

The Senegalese forward scored 10 league goals last term – the fourth consecutive season he has reached double figures in the Premier League – and already has four in four games in this campaign.

Mané offers the same pace and goal threat from the left side of Liverpool’s attack that his Egyptian colleague offers from the right and the pair, together with Roberto Firmino, form a fearsome triumvirate up top for the Reds.

Last five meetings

4 February, 2018 – Liverpool 2-2 Spurs – Premier League
22 October, 2017 – Spurs 4-1 Liverpool – Premier League
11 February, 2017 – Liverpool 2-0 Spurs – Premier League
25 October, 2016 – Liverpool 2-1 Spurs – EFL Cup
27 August, 2016 – Spurs 1-1 Liverpool – Premier League

Previous clash

Our trip to Anfield in February turned out to be one of the most dramatic games in the Premier League last season and we left with a valuable 2-2 draw against one of our rivals for a top-four finish.

A defensive mix-up allowed Salah to give the Reds an early lead but we laid siege to the hosts‘ goal after the interval and were rewarded by substitute Wanyama’s thunderbolt – our Goal of the Season – with 10 minutes left.

Loris Karius saved Kane’s penalty before Salah appeared to have won it for Liverpool in the 90th minute, only for Virgil van Dijk to fell Erik Lamela deep into stoppage time with Kane making no mistake from his second spot-kick to earn us a deserved point with his 100th Premier League goal.

Liverpool’s form

Jürgen Klopp’s charges could not have made a better start to the season, winning all four games and sitting top of the Premier League table.

They cruised to a 4-0 victory against West Ham United on the opening weekend and also kept clean sheets in a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace and 1-0 home success over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Last time out they were given a severe test by Leicester City, having led 2-0 at the break through Mané and Firmino. Rachid Ghezzal pulled one back but Liverpool held firm to continue their perfect start to the campaign.

Magic moment

Our 4-0 victory against Liverpool at White Hart Lane on 18 September, 2011, was the first time we had scored four times against them in a league game since a 7-2 home win in 1963.

Luka Modrić’s stunning opener capped a flowing move and was the catalyst for a memorable afternoon. Gareth Bale carved open the Reds down the left and pulled the ball across the area for Jermain Defoe, who laid it back for the Croatian to hammer past Pepe Reina from 20 yards.

Liverpool had Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel sent off either side of half-time and we took full advantage with Defoe making it 2-0 and Emmanuel Adebayor adding two more.

Played for both

Former England international Steven Caulker spent six months at Anfield back in 2016, the season that Liverpool reached the Europa League final. After graduating from our youth system, the centre-back made the breakthrough to the first team in 2009, making a total of 29 appearances and scoring two goals in four seasons with us.

After gaining vital experience on loan at Yeovil Town, Bristol City and Swansea City, he left us permanently in 2013 to join Cardiff City. Steven stayed in South Wales for just a year before returning to London where he joined Queens Park Rangers. Caulker soon went on loan again, first to Southampton before his time at Anfield.

The defender joined Jürgen Klopp’s side in January, 2016, and made four senior appearances for the Reds until the end of that season. He joined Dundee in 2018 after leaving QPR last year.

What they’re saying

With a series of tough games coming up over an intense couple of weeks for Liverpool, manager Klopp said on the subject of squad rotation: “It is a big misunderstanding that we will plan for the game tomorrow and (also) think about the game after and the game after. That’s too complicated. You have to go into the next game and see who you can choose. That’s it – you always try to have your best team.

“The first three games (of the season) were the same line-up and then we changed one position. It is to gain the points, have a good start, to create the basis and all that stuff, it is not about looking at how is he and how he is.”