Liverpool v Spurs – history, stats and facts
Wed 16 December 2020, 13:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
This evening, the eyes of the world will be upon us as go toe-to-toe with Liverpool in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash (8pm kick-off).
Ahead of the meeting at Anfield, we take a look at the history of the fixture, some of its recent key moments, the statistics behind both sides’ season so far, as well as the pre-match view from our opposition.
The history
It's fair to say Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for us - since first visiting the storied old stadium for a competitive league fixture back in 1909, we have been victorious there just six times.
The first two came in the space of our first three visits to Merseyside. Opening our account there in October, 1910, we triumphed 2-1 - Percy Humphreys and Billy Minter on the scoresheet. Two years later, in March, 1912, we repeated the feat by the same scoreline - this time it was Thomas Mason and Ernest Newman who struck in Liverpool. Just three more wins followed for us over the next 81 years at the home of the Reds.
Since the formation of the Premier League though, we have added another two victories to that list and both finished 2-0 in our favour – the first came in August, 1993 as Ossie Ardiles led us to a 2-0 win thanks to a Teddy Sheringham brace, before we earned our second victory in May, 2011, with Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric on target.
That means it has now been nine league games since we last took maximum points from this fixture while it is just one win in our last 26 visits.
Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, meanwhile, have a rather imperious Premier League record at home over the last few years having not tasted defeat in the competition at Anfield since April, 2017 when they were beaten 2-1 by Sam Allardyce’s Crystal Palace. Interestingly, Christian Benteke scored a brace in that win - something he didn’t manage to do again in the Premier League until just two weeks ago, when he scored a double in Palace’s 5-1 win over West Brom.
Despite Liverpool’s impressive recent record at Anfield, in recent years, we have had a history of getting results at the home grounds of reigning Premier League champions. We have tasted defeat in just two of our last seven such games - including three wins (Manchester United 2013/14, Leicester City 2016/17 and Chelsea 2017/18).
Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has lost just eight of 29 career meetings with Liverpool and has lost on just four of 13 career trips to Anfield. This will be Jose’s first visit to Merseyside as our Head Coach.
Our last five meetings
11 January, 2020 - Spurs 1-1 Liverpool - Premier League
27 October, 2019 - Liverpool 2-1 Spurs - Premier League
1 June, 2019 - Spurs 0-2 Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final, Madrid
31 March, 2019 - Liverpool 2-1 Spurs - Premier League
15 September, 2018 - Spurs 1-2 Liverpool - Premier League
‘They play to win, and they win the majority of their matches…’
As previously stated, Liverpool have an enviable record at home in the Premier League – they are currently on a 65-game unbeaten run in the competition at Anfield. Meanwhile, this season, they are eight games unbeaten in the league - both home and away - and they have lost just five of their last 87 games in England’s top flight.
They play to win, and they win the majority of their matches, but they are going to have the Tottenham of this season, which goes into every match to win
Currently sitting just one place below us in the table in second with just goal difference separating us, it sets up an incredibly tough task for us at Anfield if we wish to keep our place at the summit. However, Jose Mourinho pointed out that, even with Liverpool's impressive and consistent displays over the last few years, Jurgen Klopp’s men will be facing the 'Tottenham of this season'.
“I expect a game where Liverpool want to win, as they always do, and the record they have at Anfield speaks for itself,” Jose explained. “They play to win, and they win the majority of their matches, but they are going to have the Tottenham of this season which goes into every match to win.”
And that Tottenham of this season, is our table-topping team – unbeaten in 11 league games, unbeaten away from home in domestic competitions, the meanest defence in the Premier League and the second-highest scoring side in division.
No goalkeeper in the league has kept more clean sheets than Hugo Lloris (5) so far this season while our attack is spearheaded by the most potent front two in European football in Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. The pair have linked up for 12 goals already this season and are just one away from equalling the record for the most combined goal contributions in a single Premier League season.
Unfortunately, if we keep them (Son and Kane) quiet, they still have a lot of really good players with threats from a lot of areas on the pitch
And Harry doesn’t have a bad record at Anfield either as he has been directly involved in five goals in six Premier League games (four goals and an assist). Our number 10 also needs just one more goal in the league to make it double figures in both goals and assists already this season (currently nine goals and 10 assists) after just 12 games. The quickest a player has previously reached double figures in both areas in the competition was 17 games back in 2009/10, achieved by Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas. That potency in attack though is, of course, something that hasn’t escaped the eye of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
"You cannot be top of the league with only counter-attacking (football)," Klopp said as he discussed our performances so far this season. "Unfortunately, if we keep them (Son and Kane) quiet, they still have a lot of really good players with threats from a lot of areas on the pitch.
"Steven Bergwijn plays an important role in counter-attacking moments. Tanguy Ndombele needed a bit longer to settle at Tottenham, but he's now 100% there. Giovani Lo Celso, Moussa Sissoko, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is a proper unit in midfield. It works well together. And Gareth Bale (when he is) fit again is another threat."
