Liverpool vs Tottenham: Jose Mourinho’s proper chance to put Jurgen Klopp theory to the test

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Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP16 December 2020

Jose Mourinho offered up his formula for stopping Liverpool as a Sky Sports pundit for Manchester United's draw with Jurgen Klopp's side in October last year.

"[Klopp] didn't like the menu, he likes meat and he got fish so he was not happy," quipped Mourinho after his former club had ended Liverpool's perfect League start to last season.  

"They have some limitations against teams that play with low blocks."

The Reds would go on to demonstrate few weaknesses to land an historic title but those limitations detected by Mourinho are more evident in this injury-hit Liverpool squad — as Fulham proved last Sunday — and Mourinho will put his theory to the test on Wednesday night in a top-of-the-table encounter that promises to be a clash of styles.

As Klopp has acknowledged, Spurs are more than simply a counter-attacking team but they will repeat their approach from the games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal by lying in wait for the hosts in their own half. Liverpool can expect to enjoy the vast majority of possession in front of 2,000 supporters.

Mourinho attempted the strategy without success last season, when Liverpool's relentless "results machine" — a term both managers used to describe each other's teams ahead of tonight's meeting — came away from London with a 1-0 win.

But the make-up of the teams back in January illustrates Tottenham's impressive transformation and why there is now so more reason to believe in Mourinho's approach.

While Liverpool can expect to field seven or eight of the same XI but will be without the centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, only three of Mourinho's side from that day — Toby Alderweireld, Serge Aurier and Heung-min Son — are set to start.

Eleven months ago, Mourinho's main tactical innovation was a double right-back, with Aurier and Japhet Tanganga both tasked with watching Sadio Mane, but now he can call on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko to plug defensive holes, while Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele launch counter-attacks for Son and Steven Bergwijn.

Spurs remain a work in progress and Mourinho offered a detailed explanation as to why they cannot be compared with Klopp's Liverpool, even if they are level on points at the top.

"Liverpool is the result of 1,894 days of work with Jurgen, we are the result of work of 390 days, but these 390 days are fake," he said, referring to the disruption caused by the pandemic.


Lay of the land

Pos Team P W D L GD Pts
1 Tottenham 12 7 4 1 14 25
2 Liverpool 12 7 4 1 9 25
3 Leicester 12 8 0 4 9 24
4 Southampton 12 7 2 3 7 23
5 Chelsea 13 6 4 3 12 22

Mourinho has nonetheless built a team fine-tuned to create space for Son and Harry Kane, who will be aiming to exploit Liverpool's defensive absences, even if Mourinho yesterday claimed that Van Dijk is their only "big" miss from a lengthy injury list.

Son's pass for Kane's strike at Crystal Palace on Sunday was their 32nd combination leading to a goal in the Premier League, four shy of the record held by Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Mourinho believes the pairings are "completely different" but has no doubt Kane and Son will create history. "They'll beat the record for sure," he said.

Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
Pool via REUTERS

More than anything, the presence of Kane and Son against a depleted defence will make for a different dynamic this time, even if Tottenham's shape will be similar to last season's one-sided affair.

Liverpool still feel like title favourites and Spurs outsiders, which is the way Mourinho likes it, but the Londoners will have to be considered contenders if they can exploit the Reds' limitations.

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