Premier League Matchweek 17: Tottenham vs Liverpool Preview and Prediction
Before locking horns in the EFL Cup semi-finals, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool collide in the pick of this weekend's Premier League ties in North London on Sunday afternoon.
As Spurs boss Postecoglou went to embrace Ruben Amorim on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium touchline on Thursday, the knowing smile on the Australian's face said it all; he had just witnessed his side survive more than one monumental scare to move just two games away from Wembley.
A pair of calamities from Fraser Forster gifted Man United a route back into Thursday's semi-final after Tottenham raced into a 3-0 lead. Still, the Englishman's opposite number Altay Bayindir was not covering himself in glory either, and a Son Heung-min corner which flew straight into the back of the net ended up proving decisive.
Postecoglou - who also cut a pleasantly humorous demeanour in his post-match interview - will soon end Spurs' 17-year streak without a trophy if his second-season silverware comments are to ring true, and Tottenham's gripping semi-final win came after they hit Southampton for five last time out in the Premier League.
Spurs hammered the final nail into Russell Martin's St Mary's coffin by scoring five goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time. However, they still lie smack-bang in the middle of the top-flight table, five points below the coveted Champions League places.
After snapping a miserable four-game winless run across all competitions on home soil, next on the agenda for a resurrected Tottenham outfit is avoiding a four-match winless sequence in Premier League home games, which they have not suffered since their days at White Hart Lane in 2013.
Sunday's hosts may have slayed Southampton in just 45 minutes during last weekend's Premier League affair, but Arne Slot's Liverpool made harder work of seeing off the division's basement boys in cup action in midweek, prevailing by just the one goal rather than five.
Now unbeaten in a terrific 20 matches in all competitions, the Reds remain at the top of the Premier League pile heading into the weekend, but their lead is no longer insurmountable; Chelsea have closed the gap to two points thanks to Liverpool's successive draws with Newcastle United and Fulham.
Rescuing a 2-2 draw against the Cottagers after losing Andy Robertson to a first-half red card was a noble feat, though, and not a single side has managed to conquer Slot's Liverpool as the home team this season; unsurprisingly, they are the only Premier League outfit with their unbeaten away record still intact this term.
Furthermore, only two of Liverpool's last 23 Premier League battles with Tottenham have seen the Reds lose, although one of those came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, where the infamous "significant human error" and late Joel Matip own goal triggered their downfall.
PREDICTION: Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Liverpool
Each of Tottenham's last seven contests at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has seen both teams score, and that trend should not cease in Sunday's mouthwatering clash, as Liverpool are looking more defensively frail on the road than they previously were.
However, the Reds are working with an extra day's rest, were able to leave out some of their star names in midweek and face a Tottenham side still missing some of their key defensive cogs. In short, the Slot machine should continue to whirr as Liverpool spend Christmas Day at the summit.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City: UNDER 4.5 @1.21
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal FC: OVER 1.5 @1.25
Everton FC vs Chelsea FC: 2 DNB @1.26
Manchester United vs AFC Bournemouth: OVER 2 @1.27
SPANISH LA LIGA
RC Celta de Vigo vs Real Sociedad: UNDER 3.5 @1.20
CA Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao: UNDER 3.5 @1.20
FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: OVER 2 @1.26
Real Madrid vs Sevilla FC: HOME WIN @1.35
CD Leganes vs Villarreal CF: AWAY WIN OR DRAW @1.24
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig: OVER 2.5 @1.30
VfB Stuttgart vs FC St. Pauli: HOME WIN @1.46
Bayer Leverkusen vs SC Freiburg: HONE WIN @1.41
VfL Wolfsburg vs Borussia Dortmund: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @1.49
SERIE A
Hellas Verona vs Milan: 2 DNB @1.23
Genoa CFC vs SSC Napoli: 2 DNB @1.26
AS Roma vs Parma: HOME WIN @1.52
Atalanta vs Empoli FC: HOME WIN @1.29
AC Monza vs Juventus: 2 DNB @1.22
