Tottenham v Liverpool: Premier League – live | Premier League

On December 22, 2024By Littum

Key events

Liverpool will be top for Christmas regardless of today’s result. Chelsea are the latest title contenders to come up dry against Sean Dyche’s Everton: a goalless draw means they are a point behind Liverpool, who have played two more games.

Jonathan Wilson on Big Ange

Given his comments this week that football management is a tougher job than prime minister, it’s fair to say Ange Postecoglou is feeling the pressure. Not for him calculations that will significantly affect the lives of millions for years to come; no, he has to find a way to try and get a result at home to Liverpool on Sunday. And yet, counterintuitively, it is Postecoglou who is more likely to stick to his principles.

‘DARING IS TOO DEAR’

Spurs fans have protested against Daniel Levy and friends before the game. Supporters will apparently also release a load of balloons in the 24th minute; Levy and ENIC have been with Spurs for 24 years.

Spurs fans protest against Daniel Levy and ENIC ahead of Liverpool game. Photo: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Where does the time go? It’s already 15 months since Luis Diaz’s goal that wasn’t against Spurs. Today Paul Tierney and Sian Massey-Ellis are on VAR duty.

Latest Premier League

Everton 0-0 Chelsea
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
Leicester 0-3 Wolves
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth

Ineos’ decision to bully Ruben Amorim into taking the job mid-season rather than wait until next summer is looking more short-sighted by the week.

Keep news

Ange Postecoglou sticks with the team that beat Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. Liverpool, who picked a specialist in the Milk Cup in midweek, make one change from last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Fulham. Alexis MacAllister comes into midfield in place of Curtis Jones.

Tottenham (4-3-3) Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, son.
Subs: Austin, Reguilon, Udogie, Dorrington, Bergvall, Olusesi, Werner, Johnson, Lankshear.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo.
Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Jones, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Quansah, Nyoni.

Break score

There are four kick-offs at 2pm in the Premier League. That’s how they go.

Everton 0-0 Chelsea
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
Leicester 0-3 Wolves
Man Utd 0-1 Bournemouth

As things stand, Bournemouth are fifth in the table, above Manchester City and in a different postcode to Manchester United. Andoni Iraola is the real deal, isn’t he?

“And it came to Molby…“

There is more than one way to win a title, as Liverpool showed throughout the 1970s and 1980s. They often set a breakneck pace that no one could live with (1978-79, 1982-83 and 1987-88 come to mind, not to mention 2019-20). But there were also a few seasons where they started off slow and were written off, only to come through the box as The Terminator.

One such example was in 1985-86, when a dramatic televised victory at Spurs was the catalyst for them to beat champions Everton.

Preamble

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the last Premier League game before Christmas, the one that could decide who is top at Christmas. Liverpool return to Spurs, scene of last season’s definitive VAR fiasco, knowing a win* will keep them above Chelsea. Being top at Christmas doesn’t always result in the title, but beating 13th would be a fitting reflection of an almost unimaginably brilliant start under Arne Slot.

Spurs, meanwhile, have become the Premier League’s answer to the Pakistan cricket team. They are mercurial to a fault, they use the sublime and the ridiculous as a starting point to advance west and east. And they couldn’t be involved in a boring game if they tried, which by the way they won’t. Spurs’ 13 home games this season have produced 49 goals. For the neutrals, this should be lots of fun.

Kick off 4:30 p.m.

* This is if Chelsea win at Everton in their 2pm kick-off. If they don’t Liverpool will be top regardless.