All eyes will be on the team Arne Slot names to deliver the Premier League title on Sunday, and he has decisions to make in each department for the most-anticipated game of the season.
One point. That is all that stands between Liverpool and being crowned Premier League champions.
Anticipation is growing but the Reds still have a job to do against 16th-placed Tottenham on Sunday, and there are decisions to make when it comes to the starting lineup.
Does Kostas Tsimikas drop back to the bench? Will Curtis Jones get an opportunity in midfield and who starts as the No. 9?
All familiar questions, so here’s how the Reds could line up for a historic day in the making.
Team news
Slot has a healthy squad to choose from, with only one senior player still sidelined with injury:
- Joe Gomez could “be available last one, two or three games” if all goes to plan
- Conor Bradley “getting closer and closer to playing 90 minutes”
Liverpool’s XI vs. Spurs
After being named on the bench in the last two matches, only coming on against West Ham, you sense it is time for Robertson to return to the fold at left-back in place of Tsimikas.
It is the first time this season the Scot has been named on the bench in successive games and that ought to mean he is ready to inject fresh energy on the left.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made quite the impact on his return at Leicester but it is too soon for a start and Conor Bradley is the obvious choice to continue.
• READ: Why Nunez is not starting as Slot reacts to transfer rumour
In midfield, it is hard to look beyond Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai starting, although the latter is under the most threat with more needed on the ball.
Tottenham have the seventh-worst defensive record in the league and Slot could look to expose them with Mo Salah on the right, Luis Diaz as the No. 9 and Cody Gakpo on the left.
It is a forward combination he has used in both wins over Tottenham this season:
- Robertson returns to replace Tsimikas, Bradley remains at right-back
- Unchanged midfield from win vs. Leicester
- Forward line remains the same – with Diaz acting as the No. 9
This is how Liverpool would line up:
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
It is hard to see Slot making too many changes from the win over Leicester, but he could be tempted to make a total of three – in keeping with his average of 3.8 changes per game.
Robertson is likely one, while Jones will be eager to help guide the Reds to the title after coming on for only the final minutes last week. He would replace Szoboszlai in midfield.
The final change could see Jota return from the start after his cameo off the bench at Leicester ended a run of eight games in the starting lineup:
- Robertson the only change to the defence
- Jones named in midfield to replace Szobsozlai
- Jota returns as the No. 9, forcing Gakpo to the bench
Those tweaks look like this:
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Jota
Tottenham have just one win in their last seven league outings, against relegated Southampton, and there is no doubt they will offer opportunities to punish them.
Arsenal helped relieve the pressure of needing to win, but the abovementioned lineups ought to have more than enough to celebrate a title in emphatic fashion – but we will take it any way it comes!
Into these, title-bound Reds!
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