When Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool clash in North London's highly anticipated Saturday evening showdown, both teams will be defending their impressive records of remaining unbeaten in the Premier League.
The Lilywhites secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw against their long-standing rivals, Arsenal, in their previous outing at the Emirates Stadium. Meanwhile, the Reds secured a 3-1 victory against Leicester City in the EFL Cup.
Ange Postecoglou, the current Tottenham manager, achieved a feat that his predecessors, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, and Nuno Espirito Santo, couldn't during their tenures at the club. He guided Tottenham to a well-earned point against Arsenal, a match marked by a Cristian Romero own goal and a Bukayo Saka penalty, both of which gave Arsenal the lead. However, Son Heung-min, with the assistance of James Maddison, scored twice to end Spurs' three-game losing streak at the Emirates.
Although luck played a role in Tottenham's draw, with Son's second goal resulting from a mistake by Jorginho, it's fair to say that Postecoglou's team deserved a share of the points in this intense derby. Moreover, they maintained their streak of scoring at least twice in every Premier League game under Postecoglou.
Only three previous Premier League managers, namely Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, and Craig Shakespeare, had witnessed their teams score twice in their first six games in charge. However, Tottenham has now slipped from second to fourth in the league standings, with Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion both securing victories last weekend.
ALSO READ: Ousmane Dembele to leave PSG already?! Arsenal and Tottenham monitoring winger ahead of potential January loan.
Tottenham had a longer rest period due to their penalty shootout disappointment in the EFL Cup against Fulham. This extended recuperation might work in their favor against an in-form Liverpool side. However, Tottenham's recent defensive record, conceding five goals in their last three games, is cause for concern.
Liverpool, in their typical 2023-24 fashion, initially faced adversity against Leicester in the EFL Cup but turned the tide in their favor, winning 3-1. Despite Kasey McAteer giving Leicester an early lead, Liverpool fought back with goals from Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Diogo Jota.
Liverpool is currently on a seven-game winning streak across all competitions, surpassing Tottenham to claim the second spot in the Premier League table, trailing only the undefeated Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp's side brings an eight-game unbeaten run in Premier League away matches and a 19-game streak without defeat overall.
Additionally, Liverpool has not suffered a defeat against Tottenham since a 4-1 loss in October 2017, maintaining an unbeaten streak over 12 subsequent fixtures, including a double victory over Tottenham last season. However, this will be the Reds' first experience of the lively atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Postecoglou as their manager, calling the shots from the touchline.
