Liverpool Aims For Premier League Summit Against Tottenham In Christmas Clash

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The final set of Premier League matches before Christmas is here, with Liverpool under Arne Slot aiming to remain at the top by December 25. They face Tottenham in a late Sunday match, following Chelsea's visit to Everton. Liverpool recently secured a 2-1 victory over Southampton in the EFL Cup, setting up a semi-final clash with Spurs next year. Under Slot, Liverpool has lost only once in 24 matches across all competitions.

Tottenham's recent form has been inconsistent. They defeated Southampton 5-0 last Sunday and narrowly beat Manchester United 4-3 in an EFL Cup quarter-final on Thursday. These victories followed a five-game winless streak. As anticipation builds for this exciting fixture in north London, we explore key Opta facts and statistics surrounding the match.

Liverpool heads into the game as favourites, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 52.7% chance of winning at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In 10,000 simulations, Spurs won only 24.6%, while 22.6% ended in draws. Historically, Liverpool has dominated this fixture, losing just two of their last 23 Premier League meetings with Spurs, winning 15 and drawing six.

Last season's encounter saw Tottenham win 2-1 amid controversy as Liverpool finished with nine players due to red cards for Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota. Luis Diaz had a goal disallowed incorrectly by VAR Darren England, prompting an apology from PGMOL. Joel Matip's own goal decided that match in stoppage time.

Mohamed Salah is making headlines both on and off the pitch this season. With no updates on his contract situation, speculation about his future continues. Despite this uncertainty, Salah is performing exceptionally well and is a strong contender for Player of the Season honours.

Salah could make history by becoming the first player to achieve double figures for both goals and assists before Christmas Day in the Premier League's history. He currently has 13 goals and nine assists this season and will break new ground if he provides another assist on Sunday.

Tottenham's Defensive Struggles

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham team has been entertaining yet inconsistent this season. Despite scoring three or more goals in nine games so far, their defence remains vulnerable. Their expected goals against (xGA) stands at 24.28, ranking eighth-worst in the league.

Their high pressing style cost them dearly in a recent home defeat to Chelsea (4-3). If they maintain this approach against Liverpool’s dynamic attackers, it could lead to another challenging outing for Spurs.

Key Players to Watch

Tottenham - Son Heung-min: Son Heung-min shone against Southampton last weekend with two assists, equalling Darren Anderton’s record for most assists by a Spurs player in Premier League history (68). Son also scored during that match, becoming one of only 20 players to score in at least 100 different Premier League games.

Liverpool - Diogo Jota: Diogo Jota aims for redemption after being sent off against Spurs last season. He has excelled against Tottenham previously and scored twice more since then against them in league play.

Liverpool seeks their first top-of-the-table Christmas finish since 2020 but have only converted such leads into titles once out of seven attempts since then (2019-20). Meanwhile, Tottenham hopes to secure consecutive home wins over Liverpool for the first time since their five-match streak from 2008 to 2012.