TOTTENHAM vs. LIVERPOOL FIXTURES

Tottenham vs Liverpool

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Match Preview: Martin Keown on why Dele Alli's absence is a huge blow and Sadio Mane's bid to be top dog at Anfield

• Tottenham and Liverpool meet in the Premier League on Saturday at Wembley 
• The Reds have won four from four so far this campaign and look impressive
• Spurs thrashed them last season though and will be hopeful of another win
• Sportsmail's Martin Keown offer his big match analysis ahead of the crunch clash

Liverpool's perfect start to the Premier League season is expected to come under major threat when they travel to Tottenham on Saturday.

The Reds have won four from four so far this campaign but last season's heavy defeat at Wembley will give Spurs hope they can become the first team to take points off Jurgen Klopp's side. 

Here, Sportsmail's Martin Keown offer his big match analysis ahead of the crunch clash.

It's despair without Dele

Dele Alli, Tottenham

Even before we discovered that Dele Alli would miss this match, I thought Tottenham would find it tough to beat Liverpool. They will find it even harder to win without their influential midfielder. We talk of Harry Kane’s importance to this Spurs team but Alli is just as vital.

Since his debut in 2015 he has missed just eight Premier League games for Tottenham, highlighting his importance to manager Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs have never lost when Alli scores and in those matches where he has been absent, Spurs have won just once.

His partnership with Kane has been crucial in establishing Tottenham as a top-four side. Since the start of last season, between them the pair created 32 chances for each other. There have been questions about the English players’ workloads after a long World Cup campaign. It looked like Alli had a hamstring issue in the summer and I hope this is not a recurrence of that problem.

Mane on a mission

Sado Mane, Liverpool Fc

Sadio Mane is playing like a man on a mission to overhaul Mo Salah as top dog at Liverpool.

He has returned this season even sharper and is looking utterly ruthless in front of goal. He has already scored four goals this season and will be a real handful for Tottenham centre backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

Salah, meanwhile, is missing the sort of opportunities that we have seen him put away routinely. And that is the most worrying thing for the rest of the Premier League.

Liverpool’s stars are yet to click into top gear and yet they have maximum points!

Match Prediction: Tottenham 1 - 2 Liverpool 

By  Martin Keown of dailymail.co.uk