Liverpool-Spurs Preview: WIll Sturridge Prove His Worth?

Forever an advocate of clubs actually trying to win things— call me old fashioned— it would be a fine occurrence if Spurs were to go all guns-a-blazing in the EFL Cup this season. If not all guns, then at least a healthy percentage of the really effective ones. Ones that, oh I don’t know, might make a big hole in the side of a building or something.

Ultimate success in the competition nearly arrived in Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at Tottenham, of course. If not for arch-b*stards John Terry and Diego Costa, and their proclivity to rouse themselves for the crucial games, the Argentine’s maiden campaign in North London would’ve been furnished with some long-awaited silverware.

Indeed, confidence was high after thumping Chelsea 5-3 at the year’s dawn, with Harry Kane in the early stages of his comic book rise to superstardom. Jose Mourinho, however, chief b*stard supremo, had other ideas. The man just knows his way around a cup final.

Round 4 of this year’s competition and Spurs have their work cut out. They face Jürgen Klopp’s buoyant Liverpool side at Anfield tonight. The German might himself consider the League Cup a worthwhile pursuit this season. With no European distractions, there’s little to stop him sending out a fully-loaded team.

What more reliable method of getting fans onside than winning a tin pot or two— and what better way to underpin the progress Klopp has made on Merseyside than a successful day under the Wembley arches?

One player who might make a rare appearance tonight, is dancing baguette peddler, Daniel Sturridge, who Klopp is struggling to find any use for in his vision of a Modern Liverpool.

Comparable to Joe Cole’s ability to rather miss the point when challenged with a tactically-minded coach— never quite embracing the ideas of Mourinho, Ancelotti or Capello —so Sturridge is finding life under the German quite demanding.

Not just content to let the England striker loiter around the pitch unrestricted, popping up every now again with an eye-catching left-food finish, Klopp asks rather more of his players. It has been largely hinted that Sturridge lacked the motivation to force his way into the fold at Chelsea, an attribute you don’t often associate with those who’ve triumphed under the former Dortmund coach.

Take one look at Sturridge’s running statistics for the season, compared to, say, Roberto Firmino, and perhaps it’s easy to see why he’s not in favour.

Will he take his chance tonight?

Possible line-up for Spurs:

Vorm, Trippier, Rose, Carter-Vickers, Wimmer, Winks, Lamela, Dier, N'Koudou, Sissoko, Janssen