Spurs, Liverpool Stake Unbeaten Streaks at Tottenham Stadium

After an unimpressive performance last season, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have been very impressive since the beginning of the new Premier League season and both sides are yet to lose a game so far. However, their unbeaten run will be put to test this evening as the Lilywhites host the Reds at the Tottenham Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool will put their unbeaten Premier League streaks on the line when they square off in this evening’s headline battle in North London.

The Lilywhites took a point away from the Emirates in a 2-2 draw with bitter adversaries Arsenal last weekend, while the Reds most recently overcame Leicester City 3-1 in the EFL Cup.

Achieving a feat that none of Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho or Nuno Espirito Santo managed during their ill-fated spells in the Tottenham hotseat, Ange Postecoglou left enemy territory having navigated Tottenham to a hard-earned point against Arsenal, who twice took the lead through a Cristian Romero own goal and Bukayo Saka penalty.

Romero’s second-half handball also gifted Arsenal the early second-half penalty for Saka to convert, but his blushes were spared on both occasions by Son Heung-min, who bagged a brace from a pair of James Maddison assists to end Spurs’ three-game losing streak at the Emirates.

There was certainly an element of luck to Tottenham’s draw, as a daydreaming Jorginho was robbed of the ball by Maddison for Son’s second goal, but few could argue that Postecoglou’s men deserved at least a slice of the spoils in a typically chaotic derby, one which also saw them maintain their hot streak of scoring at least twice in every Premier League game under Postecoglou.

Only three previous Premier League managers had seen their side score twice in their first six games in charge – Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Craig Shakespeare – but with Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion both prevailing last weekend, Spurs have slipped from second to fourth in the rankings.

Owing to their penalty-shootout disappointment at Fulham, Tottenham did not have to concern themselves with EFL Cup matters over the past few days, but while the elongated recuperation period might do them the world of good against an in-form Liverpool, conceding five goals in their last three games will not.

In quintessential 2023-24 Liverpool fashion, the Reds subjected their fans to an early sense of doom and gloom before turning the tide in their favour, prevailing 3-1 for the fourth game running when Leicester visited Anfield for the third round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

With three minutes on the clock, Kostas Tsimikas was left in a heap, but the Foxes were allowed to bomb forward and drew first blood through Kasey McAteer, before somehow getting to the break with their unforeseen one-goal lead intact.

However, Cody Gakpo’s low strike, Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderbolt and a fancy Diogo Jota finish sealed yet another come-from-behind triumph for Liverpool, who have also beaten LASK Linz and Wolverhampton Wanderers in identical circumstances since the international break, as well as coming up trumps by the same scoreline in last weekend’s Premier League battle with West Ham United.

Revelling in a seven-game winning run across all tournaments, Liverpool have dethroned Tottenham in the runners-up spot in the Premier League table – only behind the unblemished Manchester City – and Jurgen Klopp’s side travel south with an eight-game unbeaten run to protect in Premier League away matches, as well as a 19-game streak without defeat overall.

Furthermore, Liverpool have not been bested by Spurs since a 4-1 pummelling in October 2017, navigating 12 subsequent fixtures without defeat and doing the double over the Lilywhites last term, but this will be the Reds’ first taste of the bouncing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium atmosphere with Postecoglou barking orders from the touchline.

Earlier today, two Premier League teams seeking to swiftly move on from their midweek EFL Cup exits will face off at Molineux as Wolverhampton Wanderers play host to Manchester City.

While Gary O’Neil’s side were beaten 3-2 away against Championship club Ipswich Town on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola’s men suffered a slender 1-0 loss at Newcastle United on Wednesday.

O’Neil has been left with plenty to ponder following an unwanted four-match winless run in all competitions, with back-to-back league defeats to Crystal Palace and Liverpool followed by a controversial 1-1 draw at Luton Town last weekend and their midweek EFL Cup defeat to Ipswich.

The West Midlands outfit return to home soil this weekend where they have already lost two Premier League games against Brighton and Liverpool, and it is fair to say that the fixture generator was not kind to O’Neil’s side who have Man City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur up next at Molineux.

Since doing the double over Man City in the 2019-20 season, winning 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium and 3-2 on home soil, Wolves have lost each of their last six meetings with the Citizens by an aggregate score of 19-3, including a 3-0 defeat last season.

Sitting 16th in the Premier League table and hovering just three points above the relegation zone, defeat for Wolves today would see them lose their opening three home games of a league season for just the third time in their history after 1986-87 and 2021-22.

For just the second time in 39 games in 90 minutes across all competitions, Man City tasted defeat after they were narrowly beaten by Newcastle United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, crashing out in the third round for the first time in a decade.

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for his players despite the defeat, and while an unprecedented quadruple is now not on the cards, City’s exit from the EFL Cup can at least remove one competition from their already hectic fixture schedule that will soon include Club World Cup matches in Saudi Arabia.

Man City, who sit top of the Premier League table after winning each of their first six games, are now preparing for three consecutive away fixtures within eight days, with today’s trip to Wolves followed by visits to RB Leipzig in the Champions League and a top-flight showdown with Arsenal.

The reigning champions have fond memories of their last three visits to Molineux, winning all three by an aggregate score of 11-2 and scoring at least three on each occasion; another victory today would see City win their opening seven games of a top-flight season for the first time in their history.