Tottenham vs Liverpool Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2024-25 English League Cup | Semi-Final
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The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium plays host to the first leg of an intriguing Carabao Cup semi-final between injury-hit Tottenham and Premier League table-toppers Liverpool.
Kick-off date/time: Wednesday 8th January, 2025: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports / US – Paramount+
How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / US – Paramount+
Tottenham Preview: Poor league form
Entertaining though they may be, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham are now four games without a victory, and have won just two of their last 11 games in all competitions heading into this Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
Spurs opened their League Cup campaign with a come-from-behind victory over Coventry before seeing off both Man City and Man Utd on their way to a fourth semi-final in this competition in the last seven seasons.
Liverpool Preview: Pushing on all fronts
Despite being held by Man Utd at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool remain six points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand over their rivals for the title, and the Reds have still lost just one game in all competitions this season.
Arne Slot’s men have defeated three Premier League teams en route to the last four, seeing off West Ham, Brighton and Southampton in their three cup contests.
Tottenham Team News: Two suspensions in addition to lengthy injury list
Fraser Forster is back in training after illness ravaged the Spurs camp over the weekend, but new signing Antonin Kinsky could be preferred to both Forster and Brandon Austin in goal.
Rodrigo Bentancur, suspended on Saturday, is available but Pape Sarr and James Maddison miss out with bans of their own.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Solanke
Unavailable: Vicario (Injured), Romero (Injured), Van de Ven (Injured), Davies (Injured), Udogie (Injured), Sarr (Suspended), Maddison (Suspended), Odobert (Injured), Richarlison (Injured)
Questionable: Forster (Illness), Gray (Illness), Moore (Illness)
Liverpool Team News: Szoboszlai could be in the squad
Dominik Szoboszlai could make the squad after illness kept him out against Man Utd, but he is unlikely to be ready to start.
Joe Gomez is the only known absentee, while Slot could make a few changes after the weekend with the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas and Darwin Nunez all potentially starting.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Nunez
Unavailable: Gomez (Injured)
Questionable: Szoboszlai (Illness)
Tottenham vs Liverpool Prediction
Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Man Utd on Sunday felt more like a Jurgen Klopp display than the more controlled performances they have delivered under Arne Slot, and if they are similarly open in this first leg against Tottenham, then goals could certainly be on the menu.
Spurs fans may be forgiven for becoming frustrated with the lack of positive results under Ange Postecoglou of late, but their injury-ravaged squad have still managed to find the net fairly regularly. They certainly won’t be keen to visit Anfield in the return leg without a goal to their name, so we can see both teams scoring in this one.
Tottenham vs Liverpool Tip: Both teams to score
