Spurs can wipe the slate clean against bogey boys Liverpool
Ben Cleminson gives his best bets for this weekend’s Premier League action
HARRY Kane reckons Jurgen Klopp’s arrival could give Liverpool an extra 5% when they visit White Hart Lane tomorrow – but it’s his side that needs the boost in this fixture.
Liverpool have had the upper hand against Tottenham in recent years.
They have won five on the spin, by an aggregate scoreline of 18-4.
It was 3-0 on their previous visit to N17 and 5-0 the season before.
On that basis, there is plenty of encouragement in taking Sportingbet’s 2/1 for the away win.
However, Mauricio Pochettino has made Spurs a lot harder to beat.
His charges have recorded back-to-back home victories in the Premier League, against Crystal Palace and Manchester City, and twice came from behind to draw at Swansea last time out.
They have drawn half of their top flight games and five in 11 in all competitions.
Spurs are 6/4 favourites here, but they are just not winning enough – only four across league and cup competitions – so my money is going on the draw at 12/5 with Sportingbet.
The sides have made similar starts to the season: Spurs have 13 points and Liverpool 12.
The Reds’ total includes three stalemates. On top of that they’ve drawn 1-1 in both Europa League games and their League Cup tie with Carlisle, before sneaking through on penalties.
No team has conceded fewer than Spurs’ seven goals in the Premier League, but they aren’t causing teams enough problems at the other end of the pitch.
Likewise, Liverpool have only scored at a rate of a goal-per-game, despite Brendan Rodgers’ expensive reinforcements, although keeping Daniel Sturridge fit will surely help remedy that problem in the long term.
Hugo Lloris and Simon Mignolet have each kept three clean sheets this season but I’m not sure this will end goalless.
I’m more comfortable backing 1-1 at 19/4 with Sportingbet.
Either way, with Sporting Index offering a total goals spread at 2.65-2.85, selling total goals will return a profit if the predicted low-scoring draw materialises.
POINTERS
Draw 12/5 (Sportingbet)
Sell total goals 2.65 (Sporting Index)