Liverpool triumphed 2-1 when they last played Tottenham in the Big Match and the two meet again today. One has a new manager while the other is 13 points ahead at the top with a game in hand.
Tottenham's performances over the past couple weeks have been very Moruinho-esque at Manchester United. They start poorly, there is no reaction, there is no organisation and they are passive with and without the ball. Losing to Chelsea and Southampton, drawing with Norwich and Middlesbrough but beating Brighton has not been great and the performances throughout those game have been below par. Normally the cracks begin to appear with Mourinho in the third season but it may have taken almost the third month for the downfall to occur.
His midfield selections have been odd with Sissoko and Dier being his favourite two. These are two tall, strong players that Mourinho likes to use a double pivot but this didn't work at Manchester United and he was supposed to have rethought his tactics, so why is he doing the same thing at Tottenham? Better passers of the ball Lo Celso and Winks sit on the bench while Tottenham are unable to play through the lines and make it easy for the opposition to defend against. Things have only been made worse by the injury to Harry Kane - out until April - as there is no other natural striker in the squad. 17 year old Troy Parrott won't get the nod and Son was operated as a centre forward by Pochettino last season but Mourinho wants someone up top who can hold the ball up and bring others into play. Son will look to be on the shoulder of the last defender so doesn't suit Mourinho's style. There are many conundrums for Mourinho to answer and that is not good when the league leaders come to town.
Everything seems to be going right for Liverpool at the moment. Klopp has signed a new contract until 2024, they are 13 points clear at the top, they are in the last 16 of the Champions League and, last weekend, secured their Round 4 status in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over rivals Everton. It is all so positive and there really is no way Liverpool will bottle the title. The young players that came into the line up for the FA Cup were brilliant and outclassed a superior Everton team. Klopp has made all the players believe in what he does and because of this, he can get the best out of every player and they will run through brick walls for him.
There are injuries in midfield for Klopp to work out. Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner are all unavailable so the trio will have to be Wijnaldum, Lallana and Henderson sitting deeper. Liverpool have an aura about them that means in any game they go into, they feel like they can win. Klopp has built that inner self-confidence within these players while Mourinho does not do that. Two different manages with two different management techniques face off and there can only be one winner.
2-0 Liverpool.
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