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Match preview - Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool - Redknapp aims to dent Benitez' ambitions
Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur launch their 2009/10 league campaign at home against Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool. Both these teams locked horns on the opening day of the 2004/05 Premier League season, the game ending 1-1, again at White Hart Lane. It should be close this time too. Spurs have strengthened their squad this summer by reinforcing the strike-force and adding a genuinely effective centre-back. This particular fixture pits Robbie Keane and new signing Peter Crouch against their former club and the Ireland skipper will be particularly motivated to perform in front of his old manager, who never showed faith in him during his short spell at Anfield. Both Spurs and Liverpool have their own targets for the upcoming season. Liverpool will look to end their Premier League drought by finally stopping Manchester United’s winning streak - Rafa Benitez knows that this might well be his make-or-break season. Tottenham - now under Redknapp - want to avoid the disastrous start to last season under Juande Ramos and consistency throughout the season might just propel them to fourth place.
Tottenham - Harry Redknapp will be keen for a positive start against one of this season’s title contenders. Yet the wily manager knows that to get on top of the Reds, his side will have to be at their best and, given such a tough home fixture right at the beginning of the season, there is no room for summer cobwebs. Despite missing Jonathan Woodgate with a groin injury, new signing Sebastien Bassong is available following an uncertainty over last season’s ban, which comes as a major boost for Spurs. Ledley King is a doubt but is expected to recover in time. Peter Crouch’s summer arrival has provided extra teeth to Spurs’ attacking play - the tall ex-Liverpool player is the favourite to start alongside in-form Jermaine Defoe. This means Robbie Keane would have to start on the bench with talented Russian striker Roman Pavluychenko. Tottenham, with a brilliant home crowd behind them, certainly have the ability to puncture a hole in Liverpool’s title campaign.
1 Gomes
22 Corluka - 26 King - 00 Bassong - 32 Assou Ekotto
7 Lennon - 12 Palacios - 8 Jenas - 14 Modric
18 Defoe - 00 Crouch
Liverpool - Rafael Benitez must adjust to life without the influential Xabi Alonso very quickly if Liverpool are to launch a major assault on the elusive Premier League title. Alonso’s departure has made room for the signing of former Roma man Alberto Aquilani and already Benitez has heaped praise on the Italian’s talents. Reds fans must wait at least a month, however, as the new signing is sidelined through injury. Captain Steven Gerrard sat out England’s midweek draw against the Netherlands with a groin injury and the Liverpool medical team need to monitor the midfielder’s progress. Gerrard is expected to start on Sunday barring a last-minute change to his injury status. Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio are out while Emiliano Insua should start along with new signing Glen Johnson in defence. Fernando Torres will look to add to his fine season last time out and Dirk Kuyt is an ideal partner to torment the Spurs defence.
25 Pepe Reina
2 Johnson - 37 Skrtel - 23 Carragher - 22 Insua
20 Mascherano
8 Gerrard - 21 Lucas - 11 Riera
9 Torres - 18 Kuyt
The opening day of a Premier League season sometimes produces defensive games as coaches and players try to avoid a loss, and this Spurs-Liverpool tussle could be a repeat of the 2004/05 opening day clash. It should not, however, be a dull affair as both sides have an abundance of attacking talent and both managers have a winning mentality. Both teams are set to start in a 4-4-2 line up with Harry Redknapp throwing in the giant Peter Crouch upfront ahead of Robbie Keane and Roman Pavluychenko to test the central defensive duo of Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher. The Liverpool front pairing of Torres and Kuyt should be a threat all day long for the Spurs defence, yet the debut of Glen Johnson could turn out to be the difference between the sides.
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