Jürgen Klopp gives update on Liverpool‘s Covid situation
Liverpool head to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday with the Reds in fantastic form and Spurs effectively coming in from the cold, after their last three matches have been postponed. Games against Rennes, Brighton and Leicester couldn’t be fulfilled by Antonio Conte’s team due to a Covid outbreak, so it remains to be seen how fit and battle-ready his squad is.
The Reds have had some Covid absences of their own to cope with, including Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho, but came through their last match against Newcastle with a routine victory all the same.
They remain in the Premier League title hunt after six straight victories, but this will be a bigger test than some of those recent encounters. Spurs are down in seventh and do have three league wins on the spin to their name, but the most recent of those was in the first week of December. Winning all their games in hand would put the north London side into the top four, so there’s plenty to play for.
Follow all the live updates and team news as Tottenham face Liverpool below, after the conclusion of Wolves vs Chelsea:
Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool
31 mins: Chance! It should be 2-0. Son is played into space from a Tottenham clearance and drives the ball towards the box. Kane draws the Liverpool defenders away with a run into the area and Dele Alli arrives behind him. Son slides the ball across to Dele who shoots towards the bottom right corner but Alisson leaps to his left and gets a fingertip to the ball to put is wide of the post!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 17:01
Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool
29 mins: Sadio Mane gets his first real chance to run at Emerson Royal and he draws a foul from the Tottenham right-back. Alexander-Arnold rolls this free kick to Robertson who swings it in to the back post. Mane breaks away from Davies and wins the header but he sends his effort wide of the near post!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:58
Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool
26 mins: Dele Alli fouls James Milner over on the right side just outside his own box. Alexander-Arnold swings the free kick into the penalty area but Davies heads it away. Milner drills a first time shot as he gets to the loose ball but Harry Winks comes out and blocks it!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:57
Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool
23 mins: Mo Salah has been kept quiet despite the back and forth nature of this game. He gets the ball on the right wing now and takes on Sessegnon before flicking a cross into the box. Mane is the target but Ben Davies heads it away.
Liverpool come again but feed the ball in from the left this time. Mane shifts onto his right foot and shoots drawing Lloris into a save.
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:54
Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool
20 mins: Ouch! Harry Kane is shown a yellow card for a lunging tackle on Andy Robertson. He slides in with his studs up and whacks Robertson on the shin. There’s a VAR check for a potential red card against the Tottenham goalscorer but nothing further comes of it.
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:51
Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool
17 mins: Liverpool almost respond immediately as Alexander-Arnold floats a cross into the middle of the box that Mane just isn’t able to bring under control.
At the other end of the pitch Spurs break on the counter with Kane driving the ball forward. He feeds it across to Son who sends his effort wide of the left-hand post!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:48
GOAL! Tottenham 1 – 0 Liverpool (Kane, 13’)⚽️
13 mins: This time he scores! This is a lovely goal from Tottenham. Tanguy Ndombele is given the ball in the middle of the pitch and spots Kane’s run into the box. He threads a perfect pass in between Robertson and Konate to gives Kane a shot at goal. He rolls the effort back across the area, beats Alisson and sends it hom off the inside of the far post!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:44
Tottenham 0 – 0 Liverpool
12 mins: Chance! Great defending from Liverpool denies Spurs the opening goal. Emerson Royal gets free on the right wing and receives the ball. He hits a low pass in towards the near post where Harry Kane collects the ball. He spins towards goal and shoots but out of nowhere Ibrahima Konate slides across and makes the block!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:43
Tottenham 0 – 0 Liverpool
9 mins: Nice work from Naby Keita. Spurs go forward and give the ball to Son Heung-min. He tries to weave into space along the front edge of the box but gets tackled by Keita before he can shoot.
Liverpool then come forward and Robertson swings a cross in from the left. It falls for Alexander-Arnold who turns towards goal and fires a left-footed shot from range forcing Lloris into a sharp save low to his left!
Michael Jones19 December 2021 16:41