Everything on... Liverpool

After a lengthy break, we return to Premier League action on Sunday with a potential cracker against Liverpool at Anfield (4.30pm).

The Reds are top of the Premier League going into this weekend's fixtures - here’s everything you need to know about our opponents...

Team news

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Xherdan Shaqiri all returned to training this week but did not confirm whether or not they would play any part in Sunday’s clash.

Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is close to a return to full training for the first time since sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury back in April, 2018.

One to watch

Centre back Virgil van Dijk has been a stand-out performer for Liverpool this season and a crucial component in their battle for the Premier League title. Beginning his career in his native Netherlands at Groningen, the Dutch defender moved to Scotland to join Celtic, before starting life in English football with Southampton in 2015.

After three years at St Mary’s, Van Dijk was signed by the Reds for a world-record fee for a defender and he has gone from strength to strength since arriving on Merseyside.

In his first six months at Anfield, the Dutch international helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final and this season, following a series of commanding displays at the heart of defence, he has kept their fight for both the Premier League title and Champions League crown alive.

Last five meetings

15 September, 2018 – Spurs 1-2 Liverpool – Premier League
4 February, 2018 – Liverpool 2-2 Spurs – Premier League
22 October, 2017 – Spurs 4-1 Liverpool – Premier League
11 February, 2017 – Liverpool 2-0 Spurs – Premier League
25 October, 2016 – Liverpool 2-1 Spurs – League Cup

Previous clash

Back in September, Liverpool inflicted our second defeat of the season via a 2-1 win at Wembley. The visitors started the better of the two sides and thought they had taken the lead in the early stages when Roberto Firmino tapped in James Milner’s cross, but his strike was ruled offside.

The Reds would take the lead just before half-time, however, as after we failed to clear Milner’s corner, Georginio Wijnaldum sent his header just over the line, despite the best efforts of Michel Vorm to keep it out.

Nine minutes after the restart, Liverpool doubled their lead through Firmino. The Brazilian was on hand to tap in from two yards out after Sadio Mane had squeezed his cross past Vorm. We got back into the game through Erik Lamela in injury time, but his exquisite finish came too late for us to get anything out of the contest.

Liverpool’s form

As questions began to be raised concerning Liverpool’s title credentials, Klopp’s side have kicked on in the Premier League and, ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, they sit at the top of the table.

Following a defeat and two draws in their first four games of 2019, pressure began to rise on the Reds but since the start of February, their form has seen them re-energise their title bid.

Four wins and two draws (both 0-0 away to Manchester United and Everton) in their last six has seen the Merseyside outfit continue their run at the top of the league while their Champions League victory over Bayern Munich has seen them progress to the competition's last eight.

Magic moment

We looked to be heading for a narrow defeat in our last visit to Anfield but a thunderbolt strike from Victor Wanyama reignited our fightback.

We had gone behind just three minutes into the game as Mohamed Salah capitalised on a defensive error but with 10 minutes remaining, our Kenyan midfielder put us on course for an important point.

Loris Karius thought he had done enough to clear his lines by punching Christian Eriksen’s teasing cross clear, but the ball trickled into the path of the on-running Wanyama who thrashed a shot towards goal with such venom that it did not move in the air before it crashed off the back of the net.

Salah restored the home side’s lead in injury time but we had the final word in a thriller when Harry Kane slotted home a penalty for 2-2 - his 100th goal in the Premier League.

Played for both

Christian Ziege joined us from Liverpool in 2001 and went on to make 55 appearances over the next three seasons.

Having started his career in his native Germany at Bayern Munich, he was part of the Bavarian outfit’s Bundesliga winning teams of 1994 and 1997 as well as helping them to the UEFA Cup title in 1996.

Ziege then moved on to Inter, winning the Scudetto in 1999 before heading to Liverpool in 2000 where he was part of the Reds' squad that lifted the League Cup in 2001.

After just a single season on Merseyside, the midfielder joined us in north London. His wand of a left foot provided a wonderful free-kick memory against Arsenal at the Lane and he helped us reach the final of the 2002 League Cup before being part of the German squad that reached the 2002 World Cup Final. He came off the bench as Germany were beaten by Brazil.

A serious injury hit his later career at Spurs and he moved on to Borussia Mönchengladbach before retiring in 2005.

What they’re saying

Addressing members of the media in his pre-match news conference, Klopp spoke about the approaching opening of our new home while he also discussed our difficult recent run in the Premier League.

“I think these are exciting times for Tottenham. I’ve only seen photos (of the new stadium) but it looks pretty impressive so obviously they can look forward to that,” the Liverpool boss explained.

“I don’t think anybody feels any defeat from three weeks ago so we expect the strongest Tottenham side because they don’t have any injury problems, they have had a few over the season but not at the moment, so they will be a strong team.

“A world-class team will be here and we could see, even without preparing for the game - we have in the last week of course – but, before that, we saw the Champions League games, we saw Tottenham playing – it’s a very good football team, unfortunately very good.”