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Tottenham host Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday in a clash that should tell us much about how their respective seasons will unfold. The Reds have enjoyed a perfect start to the new campaign, barring one Alisson howler against Leicester, while Tottenham have won three from four – so this weekend’s meeting should give a strong indication of whether both teams will be part of this season’s title race or simply the battle for Champions League qualification.

Last term, this fixture ended in a 4-1 Wembley win for the home side, but will it pan out in a similar fashion this time around? This week’s experts, former Live4Liverpool editor George Dagless and @TalkingTHFC’s Sean Cook, share their thoughts and predictions ahead of the 12.30pm kickoff…

We’ve already alluded to Liverpool’s strong start to the campaign, but perhaps it needs to be taken in context. West Ham simply rolled over at Anfield on the first day of the campaign and while there have been some tougher tests since, it still feels like Jurgen Klopp’s usually rampant side hasn’t been pushed enough to hit top gear just yet.

Have the Reds flattered to deceive? 

George: “It’s a fair point and it’s up to the players to make a statement this weekend. Against West Ham they looked very good indeed but given their results since that perhaps wasn’t the hardest thing to do. The game against Brighton was pretty mediocre whilst against both Crystal Palace and Leicester there were times where in previous seasons we may have ended up drawing instead of winning. This weekend should provide the best marker of where we are this season so far.”

Tottenham, meanwhile, enter Saturday’s game off the back of a surprise defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road. They’ve since had the entire international break to mull over and evaluate an incredibly underwhelming performance, but Pochettino will be looking at himself and his team selection too. Spurs failed to exploit the space out wide against the Hornets and seemed almost too content with playing at Watford’s pace rather than their own.

What went wrong against Watford and does Pochettino need to make changes to his starting XI?

Sean: “Believe it or not after recent criticisms, we missed Eric Dier in midfield. Mauricio Pochettino opted for a back three, replacing Dier with Davinson Sanchez, and the lack of defensive stability in that midfield often meant Spurs were overrun by Watford. In almost every area of the pitch, Javi Gracia’s men were battling better, jumping better and fighting better for the ball. 

“There is little Pochettino actually needs to change off the back of the performance, it was simply a case of not adequately preparing for our opposition. Perhaps naivety crept in a little after the victory at Old Trafford, a trait he needs to quickly stamp out.”

The other big concern for Tottenham is inevitably the form of Harry Kane. In fairness, the England international did manage a first this term in scoring in August, but he’s just not looked the same player that has ripped the Premier League apart for fun over the last few years – and some have questioned whether that’s because Lucas Moura, albeit enjoying brilliant form himself, have changed the dynamics of Tottenham’s attack.

Do you feel Moura is detracting from Kane’s influence or are there other factors at work?

Sean: “In short, Kane is knackered. He has now made 67 appearances in all competitions for club and country since the start of last season, despite suffering three separate injuries during that spell. He averages an appearance every 5.9 days. 

“He desperately needed a break during the international period, but it seems the Spurs boss doesn’t carry the same weight as the likes of Pep Guardiola, who put pressure on the England boss to withdraw his stars. 

“Moura has been a revelation. We saw last season flashes of his brilliance, and it always felt like he was building towards a big campaign this time around. If he can maintain this form, he will be on par with Heung-Min Son for goals this season – I’m sure of it.” 

Liverpool’s key selection dilemma, meanwhile, is in midfield – and it’s actually an incredibly nice one to have. The engine room was perhaps the only area of the Liverpool team that lacked guaranteed starters last season and Klopp’s heavy summer spend on reinforcements has left him with only more options to choose from, to the extent that off-season arrival Fabinho is still yet to kick a ball in the Premier League. James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum, meanwhile, despite plummeting down the pecking order, have been in fantastic form.

Who do you see as Klopp’s best three midfield options for Saturday?

George: “There’s an idea going around that Klopp doesn’t trust Naby Keita enough to play in certain away games in the Premier League. We saw that against Leicester and I’d not be surprised if he did the same against Spurs who obviously possess top attacking quality. I think we could see a trio of Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Milner for this one with Keita perhaps coming on to inject energy in the second half.”

Tottenham were just one of five teams Liverpool failed to beat in the Premier League last season having taken four points off them in total – including three at Wembley in that thrilling 4-1 clash. Pochettino executed his game-plan perfectly that day, hitting Liverpool hard and early and counteracting their setup with a 3-5-2 formation that almost completely limited Mohamed Salah’s influence.

What do Tottenham need to replicate this weekend to produce another win?

Sean: “That game really was a strange one. I was at Wembley that day, and despite us scoring four goals, it never really felt like it was reflective of a dominant performance. That being said, Tottenham really did shock Liverpool, so much so that Klopp made sure they didn’t suffer a similar defeat for the rest of the season. A key to that win was Spurs applying pressure early in the game, we were 2-0 up within 12 minutes. If we can come flying out the blocks early on, we stand a great chance of picking up a result.” 

And what do Liverpool need to improve upon?

George: “They’ve got to be right at it from the off. Spurs managed to do what few sides could last season – start brighter than the Reds and get on the scoresheet. No matter how good a team is, they can be rattled – Liverpool showed that against Man City last season – and Spurs know they can do the same against us. A fast start is much needed but, at the same time, managing Spurs’ possession and the atmosphere will be key. We’ve been better at killing the tempo in games this season and cooling things off – we could have done with that in the opening 15 minutes of this game at Wembley last season when the crowd had been stoked up.”

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Considering how close these sides are, in terms of both quality and style of play, Saturday’s game could well be much closer this time around. In fact, three of their last five meetings in the Premier League have ended in draws. With the margins seemingly so fine, that could see the coming instalment decided by just one key battle, moment or underlying factor.

Where will this game be lost and won?

George: “It’ll be in the channels to the sides of the central strikers. Spurs have got a lot of joy out of  Moura this season who has worked well off Kane. Christian Eriksen is also a threat in similar pockets and I’d expect them to be playing the same sort of system as Liverpool in the offensive third.

“Sadio Mane and Salah play narrow alongside Roberto Firmino and so it’s down to which defence can deal with the movement and guile of the opposing side’s front three. Communication between the right-sided defenders and similarly the left-sided defenders to deal with the threats will be crucial.”

Sean: “Liverpool’s defence is considerably stronger this season, with Virgil van Dijk a real presence in that back-line nowadays. We’ll be their first real test this campaign, so with our attackers firing on all cylinders, it will be interesting to see if they can handle Kane and co. at their best. With Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Moura and potentially Son an option from the bench, Spurs certainly have the firepower to beat Klopp’s men at home.” 

And finally lads, let’s hear your score predictions…

Sean: “I think it’ll be a draw which is a better result for Liverpool. 2-2.”

George: “Spurs 2-1 Liverpool.”