Ben & Rob's preview - Liverpool

N17 Live presenter Ben Haines and Club commentator Rob Daly take a look at Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (4.30pm).

Join them both on N17 Live on Sunday - alongside Michael Dawson - on air from 3.45pm.

Red alert

Five wins on the spin, scoring goals left, right and centre, right in the title shake-up - what do the guys make of Liverpool at the moment?

Rob: “I think there’s a little shift from the title-winning season, 2019/20. They are more attacking, more dangerous, but slightly more vulnerable at the other end. The quality of the team as a whole is the same, and going forward, they are frightening. Diogo Joto is a player they miss when he’s not available. They get the ball to the byline and cut it back so many times, and if they don’t have Jota in there at centre forward, they generally don’t have a player attacking it. He’ll always go to the near post and knock it in, that’s how he scores a lot of his goals. The form of the front three is just devastating and the way Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson link up down the left, they’re so dangerous. For me, Liverpool represent the toughest test in the Premier League at the moment.”

Ben: “I watched Liverpool-Newcastle with a mate on Thursday night. We watched Newcastle score early, but I said to him, ‘Liverpool still win this 3-1, obviously’, and the thing I thought watching it is that if you do get a foothold in the game, get ahead, the concentration required to see it out is ridiculous. It’s just wave after wave of attack. Also, if you try to outscore them, you have to be so good going forward, because Alisson Becker is brilliant, such a big presence, great on one-on-ones. Then you look at it and think Virgil van Dijk’s out, but Ibrahima Konate comes in and didn’t put a foot wrong against Newcastle. Robertson is so consistent defensively and going forward. The only difference this time though is I do feel like we’ve ironed in our shape under Antonio Conte, and we’re starting to play teams thinking, ‘this is how we’re going to play’, not worrying so much about them. It will be a good game, I’m sure. No predictions, but a good game.”

How to...

So, how do you take on Liverpool? Sit back and soak it up? Go toe-to-toe with them? What do the guys think?

Rob: “Southampton tried 3-4-3 against Liverpool at Anfield and I thought without the ball, that would be a back five, but they kept it 3-4-3 and got turned over (3-0 down at half-time, 4-0 result). However, if Spurs play that system and then drop into a five without the ball, they could frustrate Liverpool. Villa, a team trying to learn a new system under Steven Gerrard, did that last weekend (Liverpool won 1-0 via a penalty). So, I’d say five at the back without the ball, then the pace of Heung-Min Son and Lucas, a little of what we saw with Allan Saint-Maximin at Anfield for Newcastle on Thursday.”

Ben: “The team recently who looked the best in terms of that approach was Wolves. Barring the goal from Divock Origi (94th minute winner), after Rayan Ait-Nouri had to go off having had a great game against Salah, and soaked up so much pressure, breaking at pace - they had some good chances as well. The moment they switched, Salah got a new lease of life and they cut through, right at the end. In that game, Wolves did everything right, albeit with low possession.”

Rob: “I would have Lucas all over Thiago, put him under pressure, get Lucas snapping around him. I’d love to see that.”

Ben: “He’d be like a terrier, snapping around.”

Random question

Nayim, Sheringham, Klinsmann, Edman, van der Vaart, Modric, Assou-Ekotto, Kane, Wanyama... what is your favourite Spurs goal against Liverpool?

Ben: “Erik Edman’s 38-yard thunderbolt, or however far it was. Another, tied with that, Glenn Hoddle at Anfield in 1982. That was an absolutely miles out. What a hit. I think we lost 3-1 after that (Liverpool won the title that day). I had that goal on a VHS when I was a kid. I watched it until I ruined the tape. Another, not the greatest, but Roman Pavlyuchenko’s late goal in 2008, coming off the bench, when Harry Redknapp told him to, in as many words, ‘run around a bit’. Love that.”

Rob: “Harry Kane scored a lovely goal at the Anfield Road end when he turned and finished low (April, 2016), but I’m thinking Jurgen Klinsmann in the FA Cup quarter-final in 1995, Teddy’s back-heel into him and the finish into the red nets at the Kop end at Anfield. I’ll go for that one.”

Ben: “The Sheringham pass is unreal, just guides it into him. Teddy scored a great goal that day, cushioned it into the top corner.”

Rob: “Jurgen sets up Teddy as well.”

Ben: “What a kit that is, by the way.”