Odds are against depleted Spurs, Everton need to respond after their derby woe while Solskjær is feeling the heat again
José Mourinho’s life in football can be measured out in vendettas. There are two clubs he reserves a special enmity for, and for much the same reason. Both Barcelona and Liverpool passed over his services, choosing instead to turn to Pep Guardiola and Rafa Benítez, by little consequence two managers he has most enjoyed getting the better of. Only recently arrived at Tottenham, his latest club are near powerless to stop Liverpool’s procession to the Premier League title, save for performing the unlikely act of ending the leaders’ unbeaten run. To do so would be one of the shocks of the season. Where Liverpool have suffered a fair share of injuries, with James Milner’s muscle injury adding to a shortfall in midfield, Tottenham are completely riven, with Moussa Sissoko out until April and Tanguy Ndombele succumbed to a hip injury that in the words of Mourinho offers “no continuity in his development”. And, crucially, there will be no Harry Kane, a huge loss for a manager with such a tactical reliance on centre-forwards, and no obvious replacement within a squad he already appears dissatisfied with. JB
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