Liverpool Vs. Tottenham Hotspur Prediction: The Reds Want To Turn Things Around

JAKARTA - Liverpool will host Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinal at Anfield on Thursday 6 February, when the visitors come with a 1-0 aggregate advantage after a narrow win in the first leg.

Both teams will face this game with confidence after winning an important Premier League win last weekend. Liverpool beat Bournemouth 2-0, while Tottenham also won with the same score over Brentford.

Almost a month has passed since Lucas Bergvall scored Tottenham's winning goal in the first leg. The goal became controversial as Bergvall previously avoided a second yellow card after fouling Kostas Tsimikas.

However, beyond the controversy, Liverpool must also admit that they performed below the standard in the match. Now, by playing at Anfield, the Reds certainly don't want to waste the opportunity to turn things around and secure their place in the EFL Cup final for the 15th time.

The EFL Cup was Jurgen Klopp's last trophy before he left Liverpool. With a record 10 titles in this event, Liverpool are still favorite to defend their crown, despite falling behind aggregates and Newcastle United are almost sure to advance to the final from the other semifinals.

To qualify, Liverpool need a win with a goal difference of two. Their home statistics this season have been impressive: since losing to Nottingham Forest in September, Liverpool are unbeaten in 15 games at Anfield, scoring at least two goals in each game and winning 13 of them.

The 2-0 win over Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium last weekend further emphasized Liverpool's dominance. Mohamed Salah became a hero with two goals, which also helped the Reds remain six points ahead at the top of the Premier League standings. This victory also comes days after they closed the Champions League league phase as the top team.

The next three games will be an important test for Liverpool in their pursuit of four titles this season. After the game against Spurs, they will face Plymouth Argyle on the FA Cup, before undergoing the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park.

On the other hand, Tottenham have a golden opportunity to end their 2008 title fasting. With the advantage of aggregate and the possibility of facing Newcastle in the final, Spurs have the chance to win the trophy they aspire to.

Tottenham's manager, Ange Postecoglou, previously promised to bring the title in his first two seasons, and the opportunity is now wide open. However, history does not side with Spurs. On the last two occasions they played in the semi-finals of the two legs of the EFL Cup, they always lost to Chelsea, including in 2019 in a 1-0 lead before the second leg.

Their record at Anfield was also bleak, with the last win there in 2011. Since then, from 14 visits to this stadium, they have only won three draws and 11 defeats. However, the draw was enough for them to advance to the final.

Spurs had a good week, beating Brentford 2-0 and up from rank 16 to 14 in the Premier League standings. They also secured a place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a convincing win over Elfsborg, where three young players scored.

Despite much criticism of Postecoglou's tactics and the injury crisis that hit the team, Spurs have recorded four clean sheets in their last eight matches. Two clean sheets have indeed been achieved against weak teams such as Elfsborg and Tamworth, but they have also been able to quell Liverpool and Brentford, which have sharp attack lines.

Liverpool are likely to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold who suffered a thigh injury against Bournemouth. However, the results of the examination showed his injuries were not too serious, but he was still doubtful.

Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones have returned from injury, making Joe Gomez the only Liverpool player to miss. The still up for grabs are left-backs, where Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are competing to start. Meanwhile, in midfield, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai compete to accompany Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

In the Tottenham camp, Radu Dragusin suffered a severe knee injury against Elfsborg and was ruled out until the end of the season. Micky van de Ven's return is good news for Spurs, and the Dutch defender is likely to have a duet with Ben Davies on the defense.

Postecoglou hopes that some players such as Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, total Johnson, Wilson Odobert, and Timo Werner can return in the near future. However, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke still have to wait longer to fully recover.

With a strong home advantage and high motivation to turn things around, Liverpool are favorite to win. However, Tottenham only needed a draw to qualify. This match is predicted to be tight and interesting until the final whistle sounds.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Kinsky; Pedro Porro, Van de Ven, Davies, Gray; Bergvall, Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.