Liverpool just had a disappointing draw against Manchester United in round 20 of the Premier League. Therefore, they will be very determined when facing Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. The memories of last year's 6-3 win over Spurs are still in the minds of the "Red Brigade".
Statistics show that Liverpool will cause serious problems for Spurs' weak defense - just like what they did when they scored 6 goals against their opponents not long ago.
Liverpool may have been held to a 2-2 draw by Man United, but they have once again shown their fearsome attacking power with 19 shots at Anfield. In fact, their expected goals are 2.8 xG and average 2.36 xG per Premier League game this season. This is the highest number ever in the tournament.
It will be interesting to see how coach Arne Slot arranges the squad for the match against Tottenham. In general, the Dutch strategist still has all the options in attack.
Mohamed Salah - who scored twice against Spurs in the first leg of the Premier League - will certainly be eager to continue to cause sadness to the opponent. In addition, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz are also ready to continue to work in parallel with the Egyptian striker.
Diogo Jota will compete with Darwin Nunez for a place, while Federico Chiesa is also eager to make an impact.
Meanwhile, Tottenham's absentee list has reached 10. In particular, a series of key players in the "Rooster" defense could not play.
Last weekend's 1-2 defeat to Newcastle exposed Tottenham's defensive weakness. In the context of Spurs' top central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven still having to sit out, Newcastle scored 2 goals from 2.45 xG.
This is the fifth time Spurs have passed the 2 xG mark this season. Only bottom-placed Southampton have conceded more expected goals than Tottenham in the Premier League since November last year.
Spurs have both conceded and conceded in the past few months. They are struggling with injuries. In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur will return after suspension, but this cannot help Tottenham fans feel secure. Liverpool's eager attack will be a fear for Spurs fans.
The match between Tottenham and Liverpool takes place at 3:00 am on January 9 (Vietnam time).
