Liverpool v Tottenham: Key stats and talking points
· Yahoo Sports
After a shambolic defeat by Atletico Madrid, under-pressure Tottenham boss Igor Tudor must steady the ship against inconsistent Liverpool. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match (16:30 GMT).
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Familiar failings for Reds
Liverpool boss Arne Slot complained that his side's league loss to Wolves on 3 March was the "same old story", with his side dominating possession but struggling to create clear-cut chances from open play.
Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Galatasaray was more end-to-end but also had a distinct air of deja vu. Just like in October's 1-0 loss to the Turkish club, the Merseysiders were unconvincing at the back and wasteful in attack, losing by the same score in Slot's 100th match in charge.
While the Reds may fancy their chances of overturning a one-goal deficit in next week's second leg, they have struggled when forced on to the back foot this season, losing 12 times after conceding the opening goal.
On league duty, they have been beaten in eight of 11 games when their opponents scored first and have lost nine times in total – more top-flight defeats than in their previous two seasons combined.
A visit from 'Doctor Tottenham' could be just the tonic they need, though. Spurs have won just one Premier League game at Anfield in 33 years and have conceded 17 goals in their past four games there.
[BBC]Pressure mounts on Tudor
Time is running out for relegation-threatened Tottenham and their beleaguered head coach Igor Tudor. Spurs have lurched from one disaster to another since his appointment a month ago and have looked ill-suited to the Croat's 3-4-2-1 system, losing all four games and conceding 14 goals.
Tuesday's mauling in Madrid, in which they were four goals down inside 22 minutes, has left Tudor's man-management under increased scrutiny.
The decision to hand Antonin Kinsky his debut in the Champions League proper backfired horribly, with the goalkeeper gifting the opposition two goals before being humiliatingly substituted after 17 minutes. Tudor failed to acknowledge the Czech as he came off but insisted he was protecting the youngster.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has called for "emergency" action in the wake of the midweek debacle, warning the club "are sleepwalking off the edge of a cliff".
Spurs' problems clearly run deeper than Tudor. They have the worst points-per-game average over any 38-game period in their Premier League history, taking just 0.87 points per match during this period.
If they extend their dismal record at Anfield it will mean they have failed to win any of their 12 top-flight games in 2026. Only three teams have waited longer for their first Premier League victory in a calendar year - Derby County (2008), Sunderland (2003) and Middlesbrough (2017) - and all three were relegated.
[BBC]