Five things to look for as Tottenham Hotspur hosts Liverpool in the EPL

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 28: James Milner of Liverpool is challenged by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 28, 2021, in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

There are several interesting storylines as Liverpool comes to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Spurs, so what should fans be looking for in the match?

Multiple postponements over the last two weeks have taken some shine off of Tottenham’s unbeaten Premier League record under new coach Antonio Conte. On Sunday, Liverpool will be looking to take more than shine off that record as the high-flying Reds travel to north London to face Spurs, in what has become a much more significant game for Tottenham, having had the last two matches called off. Here are five things to look for that will impact the end result.

Who is available and plays for Tottenham?

Having had as many as nine players test positive for Covid over the last fortnight, who exactly is available for Tottenham Hotspur is not clear and was reflected in our projected XI for the match. Based on the photographs most recently shared of Spurs training, it seemed like Pierluigi Gollini was still unavailable as was Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The backup keeper is not so significant for Spurs with Hugo Lloris between the sticks. However, if Hojbjerg is not available that creates a big hole in the midfield just as his partnership with Oliver Skipp was growing.

The rest of the players who had tested positive, including Ben Davies, Heung-Min Son, and Lucas Moura were all back in training. The question is who can go for Spurs?

Who is available and plays for Liverpool?

Just as Tottenham has been hit by positive Covid tests, so too has Liverpool. In their Thursday win over Newcastle, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, and Curtis Jones were all unavailable having tested positive before the match.

It was unclear if additional players had tested positive and just how long players who tested positive would be out, as the Reds were still waiting for additional testing on the players according to reports.

It could very well be that come Sunday Liverpool is a squad at full strength but it is also possible that a couple of players – including a key piece in van Dijk – may be out. Liverpool had no problems without the trio on Thursday against Newcastle but Spurs are better than Newcastle.

If the trio plays, it will be interesting to see if there are any lingering effects and if they do not play, clearly, there is pressure on the replacements to step up. Either way, expect a lot of reaction about an hour before kickoff as the two teams are named.