Liverpool have been backed to secure a comfortable Premier League victory this weekend, with Paul Merson predicting Arne Slot’s side will beat Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
The Reds head into Sunday’s match looking to bounce back after a frustrating 1-0 defeat away to Galatasaray in the Champions League, a result that means we now have work to do in the return leg at Anfield next week.
Despite that setback in Istanbul, the former Arsenal midfielder believes Tottenham arrive on Merseyside in even worse shape – much like Chris Sutton.
Speaking to Sportskeeda ahead of the fixture, Merson made it clear that he expects Liverpool to win the match convincingly.
The pundit said: “It’s just a matter of by how many goals Liverpool can win! How long is Igor Tudor going to be around? My question is who wants the Spurs job at the moment?”
The ex-England international also suggested the pressure surrounding Tottenham’s interim boss could grow even further if the visitors leave Anfield with another defeat.
The Croatian coach is already under heavy scrutiny after a difficult start to his spell in charge.
Many observers inside the game already view the 47-year-old’s position as “untenable”, although the expectation remains that he will still be in charge when Spurs travel to Merseyside this weekend.
Merson believes that situation could quickly change.
The 57-year-old said: “Tottenham will wait it out. They will get the Liverpool game out of the way before making a decision on Tudor. No one expects Spurs to win this game.”
He then went further by suggesting defeat could even lead to the manager losing his job.
Merson added: “If Tottenham lose at Anfield, I will be shocked if Tudor is still in charge of the team for next weekend’s massive relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest.”
Slot’s side have not been at their most convincing recently, particularly after that defeat in Turkey where we created chances but failed to convert them.
However, Merson still expects Liverpool’s quality to show.
The former midfielder explained: “I’m expecting Arne Slot to go with his best team for this game. I expect Liverpool to turn it around against Galatasaray in the second leg next week.”
Even so, he believes the more realistic target this season may be securing a strong league finish.
The pundit concluded with a clear prediction: “Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur.”
