The Daly Brief | Spurs vs Liverpool, Premier League
Thu 18 December 2025, 14:05|
Tottenham Hotspur
"Liverpool want to be more solid, but will they play Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike together up front on Saturday? For Spurs, energy in midfield may be needed, while the left-winger could play a pivotal role, too."
Rob Daly, official club commentator, presenter and pundit
Anfield agony...
Liverpool’s 4-1 home loss against PSV (26 November) was a ninth defeat in 12 matches, their worst run since 1953, prompting Arne Slot to make big changes. They’re now unbeaten in five (three wins, two draws) – and while Mo Salah being dropped has dominated headlines, there are other factors to explain Liverpool’s improved results. In the 1-0 win at Inter Milan last week, Slot lined up with a 4-4-2 diamond, deploying both Isak and Ekitike at the point of the attack, with the split strikers and midfield squeezing high to stop the Serie A side playing out. The Reds certainly looked less defensively vulnerable at San Siro – an issue for them that has been apparent ever since their opening weekend 4-2 win over Bournemouth.
Mobile midfield...
That diamond formation is certainly an option today, but Slot hasn’t stopped with the tactical tinkering there. Against Brighton last weekend, he started with only one striker and five midfielders with Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz functioning in a narrow unit behind Ekitike. Full-backs provided the width and, sure enough, Joe Gomez assisted Ekitike within a minute – although an injury to the former saw Salah come on and change the set-up before the half hour mark. Despite keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 win, Brighton still had joy playing between the lines, finding players in pockets of space when the Reds were 4-4-2 out of possession.
Finding the gaps...
There is a lot of rotation in those midfield positions and perhaps, at times, it can look chaotic with Brighton creating multiple big chances, but failing to take them. It seems like Liverpool’s players are still working out when to press – something that was exploited by Sunderland. “I think we were even a bit surprised to have time and space to build up the play,” admitted manager Regis Le Bris after a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Finding Xavi Simons in those gaps could be huge for Spurs, having further highlighted his ability to create in tight spaces recently. At the same time, Liverpool’s midfielders interchanging position can make it hard for the opposition to track - and stop link-up play in the final third.
Big calls for the bosses...
With all of that in mind, both managers have huge team selection calls. For Spurs, will Xavi be kept in the 10 position? Could Lucas Bergvall provide the energy needed to deal with Liverpool’s fluid midfield? Gomez is injured for the visitors but Connor Bradley, an outstanding one-vs-one defender, returns at right-back – so who will face him? Right now, it feels like Thomas Frank has numerous left-wing options - Mathys Tel, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi. Mo Salah (AFCON) and Cody Gakpo (injury) are both absent – and while Isak and Ekitike both scored at Tottenham Hotspur stadium last season for Newcastle and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively – the pair are yet to click offensively in tandem for Liverpool.
