Key events
Ange Postecoglou’s pre-match thoughts
They’re a very good side and pretty lethal in the final third. We’ve been scoring lots of goals, so it’s got all the hallmarks of a dour 0-0, mate.
[On Fraser Forster] He had two unfortunate moments the other day but that happens. He’s been very good for us and he’s up for the challenge.
From the archive: Scott Murray on memorable Spurs v Liverpool games
“If poor Keith Burkenshaw had spent his £750,000 on a time machine and had fielded instead of Ardiles and Villa, the entire double-winning side of 1961, the result would probably have been no different,” opined the Guardian’s Patrick Barclay. Liverpool scored seven: two for Kenny Dalglish and David Johnson, one for Ray Kennedy, a rebound penalty knocked in by Phil Neal, and arguably the greatest end-to-end goal ever scored, a zig-zag of raking first-time Hollywood balls, Steve Heighway’s left-wing cross eventually headed home by Terry McDermott, speeding in at the far post.
Today’s Premier League results
This is the updated league table.
Liverpool will be top at Christmas regardless of today’s result. Chelsea are the latest title challenger to be come up dry against Sean Dyche’s Everton: a goalless draw means they are a point behind Liverpool having played two games more.
Jonathan Wilson on Big Ange
Given his comments this week about football management being a harder job than prime minister, it’s fair to say Ange Postecoglou is feeling the pressure. Not for him calculations that will materially affect the lives of millions for years to come; no, he has to work out a way to try to get a result at home to Liverpool on Sunday. And yet, counterintuitively, it is Postecoglou who is the one more likely to stick to his principles.
‘TO DARE IS TOO DEAR’
Spurs fans have been protesting against Daniel Levy and friends before the game. Apparently supporters will also release a load of balloons in the 24th minute; Levy and ENIC have been at Spurs for 24 years.
Where does time go? It’s already 15 months since Luis Diaz’s goal that wasn’t against Spurs. Today, Paul Tierney and Sian Massey-Ellis are on VAR duty.
Premier League latest
-
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
-
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
-
Leicester 0-3 Wolves
-
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Ineos’s decision to bully Ruben Amorim into taking the job mid-season, rather than wait until next summer, looks more short-sighted by the week.
Team news
Ange Postecoglou sticks with the side that beat Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. Liverpool, who picked a specialist Milk Cup side in midweek, make one change from last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Fulham. Alexis Mac Allister comes into midfield in place of Curtis Jones.
Tottenham (4-3-3) Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.
Substitutes: Austin, Reguilon, Udogie, Dorrington, Bergvall, Olusesi, Werner, Johnson, Lankshear.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo.
Substitutes: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Jones, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Quansah, Nyoni.
Half-time scores
There are four 2pm kick-offs in the Premier League. This is how they’re going.
-
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
-
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
-
Leicester 0-3 Wolves
-
Man Utd 0-1 Bournemouth
As things stand Bournemouth are fifth in the table, above Manchester City and in a different postcode to Manchester United. Andoni Iraola is the real deal isn’t he?
“And it came to Molby…”
There’s more than one way to win a title, as Liverpool showed throughout the 1970s and 1980s. They often set a blistering pace that nobody could live with (1978-79, 1982-83 and 1987-88 come to mind, not to mention 2019-20). But there was also a few seasons in which they started slowly and were written off, only to come through the field like The Terminator.
One such example was in 1985-86, when a dramatic victory in a televised game at Spurs was the catalyst for them to reel in the champions Everton.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the final Premier League game before Christmas, the one that may determine who is top at Christmas. Liverpool return to Spurs, scene of the definitive VAR fiasco last season, knowing a win* will keep them above Chelsea. Being top at Christmas doesn’t always result in the title, but it beats being 13th and it would be an apt reflection of an almost unimaginably brilliant start under Arne Slot.
Spurs, meanwhile, have become the Premier League’s answer to the Pakistan cricket team. They’re mercurial to a fault, they use the sublime and the ridiculous as starting points from which to go further west and east. And they couldn’t be involved in a dull game if they tried, which they’re not going to by the way. Spurs’ 13 home games this season have produced 49 goals. For the neutral, this should be loads of fun.
Kick off 4.30pm.
* This is if Chelsea win at Everton in their 2pm kick-off. If they don’t, Liverpool will be top regardless.
