Tottenham Hotspur

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Spurs and interim head coach Igor Tudor – however long he may last – can take huge encouragement from both the performance and result at Anfield.

Tudor arrived at Anfield surrounded by speculation about his future after four dismal losses, the last little short of a fiasco at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

But missing 13 players, they fully merited the draw as they were spirited and dangerous throughout.

Richarlison led the line superbly, giving Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez a torrid time in tandem with Dominic Solanke.

He had tested Liverpool keeper Alisson several times before finally beating his Brazil colleague with a scuffed finish after Randal Kolo Muani had outmuscled Van Dijk in the final minute of normal time.

The big question is whether Spurs can now build on the platform this fine display has provided.

They face a mammoth task to over-turn a 5-2 deficit from the Champions League last-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid before a vital game at home to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.

Spurs have reached the stage where every point is priceless – and no-one could possibly begrudge them this one.

Tottenham manager Igor Tudor speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their draw with Liverpool: "A lot of hard work, will to do right things and be a team. We can say it was deserved. It was not easy so I am happy, happy for the players. I'm happy. It is never easy to come here."

On what he wants from his players: "There was progress in terms of mentality and will to stay and suffer. That for sure is progress. I cannot speak about progress because we know what happened in the last two games. Today is a game where we came here with 12 players. This is something big for our fans, for the players. This is really something big.

On his celebrations for Richarlison's goal: "It's nice. All the games are important because there are not too many until the end. Every point counts. We need to get players back and choose the right players. We have a game on Wednesday [against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League] and then we play an important game against Nottingham Forest."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Liverpool make five changes from the side that lost away to Galatasaray in the Champions League - but the stand out selection is Mohamed Salah, substituted in Turkey, being dropped to the bench.

Rio Ngumoah, just 17, starts his first Premier League game, while Alisson is back in goal in place of Giorgi Mamardashvili after missing out in midweek through injury.

Ibramhima Konate is also left out after a poor performance in midweek, while Andrew Robertson comes in for Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Robertson, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Ngumoha.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Konate, Kerkez, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Nyoni, Ramsay.

Spurs interim head coach Igor Tudor is without 13 players through injury and suspension as he tries to ease growing relegation worries at Liverpool.

The Croatian makes four changes from the side thrashed 5-2 away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, but is only able to name seven substitutes, including two keepers.

Guglielmo Vicario returns in goal for Antonin Kinsky, substituted after only 17 minutes in the Madrid debacle.

Captain Cristian Romero is out with concussion suffered in Madrid, while Micky van de Ven is out suspended after his sending off against Crystal Palace.

Radu Dragusin and Souza come in, while Dominic Solanke replaced Randal Kolo Muani.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, Danso; Spence, Gray, Sarr, Souza; Richarlison, Solanke, Tel.

Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Simons, Kolo Muani, Olusesi, Roswell, Wilson.

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Man Utd v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Liverpool v Tottenham (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-offs 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Leeds" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Spurs", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

How on earth can anyone back Spurs to get anything at the moment?

Igor Tudor is making me look like I was a competent manager when I was in charge of Lincoln.

The Spurs fans in Madrid were singing about playing Lincoln away next season - the Imps are top of League One - can you imagine me up against Tudor in the dugout?

He has taken over a difficult situation but he has gone about things in a very odd way.

It might be the done thing in Croatia or Italy to go into a club and tell the players some truths and say they are rubbish, but it is one thing doing it behind closed doors, and another to do it publicly.

There just seems to be so many things wrong at Spurs. They sacked Thomas Frank, thinking they were going to get this short-term fix from Tudor, but they have got a guy who has had a short-term shocker.

Liverpool are far from convincing either, mind you. It's not impossible that Spurs scramble a win here because Arne Slot's side were lousy in Turkey on Tuesday.

Slot has got the second leg against Galatasaray to think about, and they will make changes - but they surely can't lose to Tottenham, can they?

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

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).

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.

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.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

In the battle at the bottom, Wolves and Burnley are all but down barring a footballing miracle, which leaves one spot that is likely to be filled by one of Leeds, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

With the most points on the board already, Leeds have the kindest run-in on paper, with just one game against a side from the top six (Manchester United on 13 April) and home games against both of the bottom two.

Meanwhile, it would seem like West Ham are the most likely to be relegated as not only do they currently sit in the bottom three, they also have the toughest run-in of the four sides.

However, the reason why Tottenham and Nottingham Forest fans have reason to be nervous is that the Hammers' performances have improved considerably under Nuno Espirito Santo's guidance in recent weeks.

Only four Premier League teams have taken more points from their past eight games than the east Londoners (14) and only four teams have a higher expected goal difference in that time, suggesting the upturn has not been down to luck.

Read more here

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Igor Tudor has come out fighting at Tottenham's training ground.

The Croat is facing the sack after four defeats from his four matches in charge but he isn't feeling sorry for himself and has urged his players to follow suit.

He has told his players not to think the world is against them - nor to believe that they are somehow cursed by "black magic".

"Don't act like the victim" was the overriding message.

But that is easier said than done, of course, particularly considering their extensive injury list that has worsened now with Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha to miss the game with concussion.

That, coupled with the absence of Micky van de Ven through suspension, means Tottenham are likely to have Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin at the heart of their defence at Liverpool on Sunday.

So if the Tottenham players are feeling down in the dumps, then it is understandable.

Regardless, Tudor isn't standing for it and has challenged his players to stand up and be counted in their fight against relegation.

BBC Radio 5 Live's senior football reporter Ian Dennis says he is surprised Igor Tudor hasn't been replaced by Tottenham on the latest episode of The Commentators' View: "They are imploding. And I'll be honest with you, I'm surprised he's still in the job. I know a number of Tottenham supporters, and for a long time they've been saying, 'oh, we're in a relegation dogfight'. And I thought, 'oh, no, they'll be all right. They'll be all right'.

"I think the alarm bells now are ringing for everybody for what's going on there."

"I would question their decision-making as to now, can they get the next appointment right? Because it was such a gamble for Tudor to come in. And I actually thought, 'ooh, that's very, very bold'.

"It hasn't clearly worked. And the longer they leave it, they place Tottenham's place in the top flight more at risk, more jeopardy."

Listen to the full episode here

Sean Byrne
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Anfield (kick-off 16:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news and whether Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero can play after clashing heads in midweek: "No, no. They are out. Micky [van de Ven] is also out. [Yves] Bissouma is out with a muscle [injury]. Conor [Gallagher] has some fever, but probably will be in."

• He adds there is a "chance" that Palhinha and Romero will be available for the second leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

• Destiny Udogie will "for sure" be back for their game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, 22 March.

• On goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who he substituted after 17 minutes in the 5-2 loss in Madrid: "He came back the day after and was very good and positive in training. Nothing else. This is probably the first and last time that this happened in my life and the life of a lot of people."

• On the situation the club find themselves in: "Tough, for sure. Not just because of the last game but because of the period. Not an easy situation, not easy moment. Big challenge to change things. Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation."

• More on this: "You can cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can change something. This is the message I communicated to the players. The bottle is either half empty or half full. Nothing is full here, there are a lot of empty things. Difficult moments don't last forever. I believe the players who take this as an opportunity, who stand up with the courage to change these things, will become better people and players afterwards. It is about all of us."

• On Archie Gray: "He needs to change his position every game he plays. Four games here, four different positions. He is an amazing player but that means something is wrong. Beautiful guy, beautiful player. He has my big respect."

• On if he is the best man for the job: "It is not a topic I am thinking about."

Listen to Liverpool v Tottenham at 16:30 on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Igor Tudor's decision to substitute Antonin Kinsky early against Atletico Madrid was "disgraceful" and he "should have resigned after the match", says European football expert Julien Laurens.

The Tottenham boss has come in for heavy criticism for his decision to take the goalkeeper off after 17 minutes after early errors during the 5-2 defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Discussing the incident and Tudor's time in charge so far on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast, Laurens said: "Adds insult to injury [not seeing him off the pitch]. I think it was disgraceful what he did. And it was [Cristian] Romero who told Tudor to take him off, it wasn't even Tudor's decision.

"I'm so disappointed with Tudor since he has arrived - it has been mistake after mistake. He should have resigned after the match. It was another humiliation, like Arsenal, like Crystal Palace. It is a lot of humiliation when you have only been in charge four games.

"I know it is only until the end of the season, but he is on course to be one the worst managers we have ever seen in the Premier League."

Italian football writer James Horncastle shared a similar view, adding: "I've followed his [Tudor's] career in Italy and I've never seen him take action like that - so drastic. Something that is not only damaging to Kinsky but also him. It will be the decision he is most associated with in his Tottenham career.

"It is very hard to expect him to turn it around at Tottenham now. But that is the big surprise for me. Even though he hasn't had Premier League experience, he has had experience of these kinds of situations. To see him flounder and make mistakes nearly every game has been very disappointing."

However, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague felt the ex-Juventus manager was right in his decision.

"When two mistakes happen in quick succession, sportspeople can go through analysis paralysis, which means the goalkeeper in this case stops acting automatically and he begins to over think and then another mistake can happen," he said.

"If Tudor saw this then he has got to get him out."

Listen to the full discussion from 47:00 on BBC Sounds

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Another week from hell for Tottenham and Igor Tudor.

You'd forgive the Croat for, at the very least, wondering if taking this job was worth it.

A 100% loss record since taking over from the sacked Thomas Frank has the Spurs board fearing it might have made a grave error of judgement in appointing Tudor in the first place.

Added to that, as BBC Sport reported on Tuesday, a growing disconnect between the manager and the Tottenham squad has left the club in what appears a state of crisis.

That's before we even mention the narrative regarding Tudor's treatment of Antonin Kinsky, who was subbed off after just 17 minutes of his Champions League debut on Tuesday.

That said, unless a drastic turn of events occurs over the next 48 hours, Tudor will remain in charge for Sunday's Premier League game at Liverpool.

Tudor faces the media to preview that trip to Anfield later on Friday. There won't be a shortage of talking points.

Come back to this page later on Friday for all the key lines from Tudor.

Ex-Nottingham Forest, Everton and Burnley manager Sean Dyche is being considered as a replacement for Igor Tudor as Tottenham interim boss. (Independent), external

But Dyche would be reluctant to take the job and would want a commitment beyond the end of the season, with ex-Spurs players Robbie Keane and Ryan Mason potential options. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer news and gossip? Read Friday's full column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Tottenham Hotspur have announced that season ticket holders will have more time to decide whether or not they want to renew.

The window, which opened on Thursday, was due to close on 26 May, external, two days after the conclusion of Spurs' 2025-2026 Premier League campaign.

Spurs sit 18th in the Premier League table and, one point above the relegation zone, are at risk of dropping into the second tier.

In recognition of the uncertainty around Spurs' league status, the club have pushed back the deadline by two weeks to 7 June, "to ensure fans have full clarity on next season before renewing".

A club statement added: "Everyone at the club remains absolutely steadfast in our collective commitment to improving our Premier League position and finish the current season as strongly as possible."

Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

For a man-to-man press to work well, it has to be done in a co-ordinated, aggressive manner. If any player is late to apply pressure, the opposition player has time and space on the ball, essentially giving them a man advantage.

Under Thomas Frank, Spurs' defensive approach was more passive, often defending in a more rigid defensive block.

But as they lost to Arsenal in his first game in charge, Igor Tudor was seen urging Micky van de Ven to step upfield. The Dutch centre-back and his team-mates were reluctant to do so at times – a potential hangover from Frank's style of defending.

Spurs' 5-3-2 shape lacks coverage in the wide areas with the wing-backs the only constants here.

The logic behind the 5-3-2 is that attacks through the middle of the pitch are more dangerous, so the three midfielders and two attackers are tasked with blocking this area.

When Spurs pressed from this central shape, Atletico Madrid, Fulham and Crystal Palace smartly placed players in wide and deep areas, increasing the distance Tottenham's players had to run to apply pressure.

This gave them time on the ball but also stretched Spurs' shape, out of possession, opening up gaps to exploit up-field.

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In the build-up to their second goal on Tuesday, Atletico were able to find a free man positioned deep on the right side of defence.

With Mathys Tel unable to apply pressure quickly enough, a long ball was played in behind to Marcus Llorente, running off the back of his marker.

Van de Ven slipped, which allowed Antoine Griezmann to eventually score, but the goal was created by exploiting Spurs' man-marking vulnerabilities.

• Read more on Tottenham's tactical issues

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha thinks both his former club and Chelsea face too much of an uphill battle to progress in the Champions League.

Both face three-goal deficits going into home legs, with Onuoha stating: "While they will have the belief they can do it, I think the margins are far too big. So while the game is still on for all the English sides, the margin of error is tiny for some of them now."

Their defeats come during a week in which English sides have struggled in Europe, with no wins recorded across six ties.

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty said we have seen "24 hours in which the Premier League's self-styled reputation as the best in the world suffered heavy damage".

"The Premier League's power was supposedly emphasised by having six teams in the last 16 following the league stage, but this was something of a cold shower hosed on talk of its supremacy," McNulty wrote.

All six English teams have now been given a lower predicted chance of reaching the last eight by Opta than before the last-16 first legs.

Arsenal remain favourites to progress, while Liverpool stay second favourites despite trailing by a goal after the first leg.

Champions League Match of the Day pundit Stephen Warnock believes Tottenham manager Igor Tudor has "lost the changing room" after their 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the last 16.

You can watch full highlights of Tottenham Hotspurs' defeat by Atletico Madrid below.