The Reds return to Anfield this Sunday looking to bounce back from Champions League disappointment, with Chris Sutton backing Arne Slot’s men to deepen the crisis currently engulfing North London.
Liverpool head into Sunday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur knowing that a restorative performance is required.
The mood around Anfield has been somewhat dampened following Tuesday night’s 1-0 reverse to Galatasaray in Istanbul a result that leaves Arne Slot with a significant last-16 deficit to overturn on Merseyside next week.
While the performance in Turkey was labelled “lousy” by some observers, the Reds find themselves coming up against a Tottenham side in a state of total disarray.
Currently languishing in the bottom half of the table more so in a relegation scrap and reeling from a midweek thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid, Spurs arrive at Anfield under the guidance of interim boss Igor Tudor, whose short tenure is already being viewed as increasingly unsustainable.
Sutton scathing of Spurs struggles
BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has been pullng no punches when assessing the state of the visitors. The former Premier League striker was scathing about the current atmosphere at the North London club, suggesting that the instability under Tudor makes them easy pickings for a Liverpool side looking to find their rhythm again.
“How on earth can anyone back Spurs to get anything at the moment?” Sutton asked during his weekly preview.
The pundit went further, taking a direct swipe at Tudor’s management style, which has reportedly caused friction within the Tottenham dressing room. The Croatian coach has been criticised for his blunt public assessments of his players a tactic Sutton believes is backfiring spectacularly
“Igor Tudor is making me look like I was a competent manager when I was in charge of Lincoln,” Sutton joked. “It might be the done thing in Croatia or Italy to go into a club and tell the players some truths and say they are rubbish, but it is one thing doing it behind closed doors, and another to do it publicly.”
For Liverpool, the focus remains firmly on internal improvement. The defeat to Galatasaray has increased the pressure on the squad, and Slot is acutely aware that confidence needs to be rebuilt before the return leg on Wednesday.
Despite the noise surrounding Spurs, Sutton admits that Liverpool themselves have questions to answer following their European no-show.
“Liverpool are far from convincing either, mind you,” Sutton noted. “It’s not impossible that Spurs scramble a win here because Arne Slot’s side were lousy in Turkey on Tuesday.”
However, the general consensus remains that the gulf in quality and stability should favor the hosts. With Alisson Becker and Federico Chiesa potentially returning to the squad, Slot has the tools to ensure there is no repeat of the Istanbul sluggishness.
Eyes on the prize
With Tottenham officials reportedly holding discussions about Tudor’s future following the Madrid disaster, the pressure on the Croatian is immense. He spoke of seeking “salvation” at Anfield, but history suggests that L4 is rarely the place for struggling managers to find a foothold.
Slot, meanwhile, must balance his resources with one eye on the looming European turnaround.
Sutton concluded: “Slot has got the second leg against Galatasaray to think about, and they will make changes, but they surely can’t lose to Tottenham, can they?”
The pundit has gone for a 2-0 Liverpool win, a result that would keep the Reds’ domestic momentum ticking over while potentially acting as the final nail in the coffin for the current Spurs regime.
