Liverpool travel to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium to face new manager Antonio Conte for Spurs.
Spurs have been out of action over the last couple of weeks due to a combination of covid positive tests and contacts, resulting in them missing some rounds of the Premier League as well as their Europa Conference League.
They should at the least be match fresh - Liverpool meanwhile have been hard at it with two games a week - the most recent a Thursday night victory over Newcastle at Anfield.
The reds have confirmed covid+ problems of their own - Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones and Fabinho all missed the Thursday game after returning a positive lateral flow test in the morning.
With both Man City and Chelsea in action today, it will be crucial for the reds to continue with their excellent results over the past month.
Follow the game with us here.
As it happened...
Thiago Alcantara has been ruled out after also testing positive for Covid. Henderson misses out due to illness.
It's a vastly changed Liverpool midfield for this one.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson, Morton, Milner, Keita, Mane, Salah, Jota.
Subs: Kelleher, Firmino, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Gordon, Williams, Quansah.
A note on Jordan Henderson who has tested negative but is ruled out with illness.
All the rest of the players and staff tested negative yesterday and today. Thiago will have to await the results of PCR testing.
Our opponents line up like:
Lloris, Sánchez, Dier, Davies, Winks, Royal, Sessegnon, Ndombele, Alli, Kane, Son
Subs: Austin, Doherty, Reguilon, Rodon, Tanganga, Bergwijn, Lo Celso, Skipp, Moura
Two other Premier League games today, just finished.
Newcastle 0-4 Man City
Wolves 0-0 Chelsea
Liverpool will be hoping to end the weekend closer in points to City, than to Chelsea.
Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Thiago all at various stages of their 10 day isolation.
I'm happy to play... I think we have to fight through this. But again, there is next week [if] we lose the next player and another player, then the 26th and 28th is not possible.
Liverpool are due to play Leeds at Anfield on Boxing Day, and Leicester away two days later.
Here we go, back to it redmen!
2' Alexander-Arnold lifts the ball towards the penalty spot and, whats this, its Andy Robertson with the header that goes narrowly wide!
13' Harry Kane takes the lead for Spurs. It looked like he came back from an offside position and Robbo played him on as the ball came through.
He fires it across Alisson and into the far corner.
16' Big chance wasted by Spurs. It's a 2 on 1. Harry Kane sends the ball across but Son puts it wide.
17' Alexander-Arnold with another excellent ball into the box. I thought Mane was getting to that but it was good defending to steer it away from him.
End to end!
18' Wow. I can't believe the flag stayed down but Son is powering towards goal with nobody near him.
Somehow, Alisson claims it. That was a poor bit of play in the end by the Spurs forward.
20' Studs straight into Robbo's shins from Harry Kane.
It's a yellow. That could have been a red for anybody else.
23' And now Tyler Morton gets a card - for a challenge on Harry Winks.
28' Emerson Royal with a trip on Sadio Mane at the side of the penalty box.
Yellow card.
30' Son with a great pass that goes through the Liverpool defence.
Dele Alli shoots and I he's hit it off target. He only had the keeper to beat. Alisson gets a touch.
35' Diogo Jota heads in but that was wonderful work from Robbo to get the cross back in.
Excellent drag back and cross - standard Jota finish.
38' Jota barged over in the box. He is fuming. No penalty given.
39' Jurgen Klopp booked. Understandably fuming at some of these decisions from the referee.
39' Paul Tierney gives Spurs a free kick for exactly the kind of barging over that he didn't give Liverpool a penalty for.
Lack of consistency stinks.
43' Mane cross and Alexander-Arnold meets it and leathers it at Lloris.
The Spurs keeper gets in the way to keep it out.
Spurs 1-1 Liverpool
Spurs have had the better chances but Liverpool have probably edged that as the better team. Referee has been a big help to the home side. Liverpool had a clear shout for a penalty that was turned down and Harry Kane is, quite frankly, lucky to still be on the pitch.
Diogo Slotta.pic.twitter.com/zQdDLVWhXV
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) December 19, 2021
Back underway at THS.
47' Harry Winks booked for a foul on Jota.
53' Not quite the excitement so far of the first half but Liverpool are looking controlled here. No major defensive switch offs that we suffered in the first half.
A long way to go .
55' The England captain should have scored but then there's this man called Alisson Becker.
A sensational save from point blank range. Brilliant.
And now Harry Kane heads over at the back post.
A couple of glorious chances spurned.
58' Ben Davies stops Trent Alexander-Arnold illegally.
Yellow card.
60' Going to be an interesting tactical change here. Tyler Morton, who has struggled a bit here, replaced by Bobby Firmino.
64' Ndombele replaced by Oliver Skipp.
69' Robertson capitalises on a bit of a mistake in the defence.
Heads into what is pretty much an empty net.
Can Liverpool hold on now. You can't say they haven't deserved the lead although Spurs have missed a good handful of clear cut opportunities.
It would be pure comedy if it turns out that Andy Robertson of all people is the matchwinner.
74' Ah well. Spurs hit back quickly. Ball played through, Alisson tries to come out and clear but misjudges the kick.
Son fires into an empty net. 2-2.
74' Ah well. Spurs hit back quickly. Ball played through, Alisson tries to come out and clear but misjudges the kick.
Son fires into an empty net. 2-2.
76' Robertson with a wild sweep and he gets a yellow card.
78' The ref is told to review the decision and that means one thing. Change your mind.
He is given a red card.
Liverpool down to ten men.
84' Tsimikas comes on for Mane to restore that back four.
84' Ryan Sessegnon fouls Naby Keita.
Naby Keita yellow card.
85' And now Konate booked. Farcical referring performance today.
86' Spurs chance and Konate manages to divert that ball over the bar.
86' Sessegnon replaced by Reguilon.
Can the 10 man reds withstand the pressure in the final moments.
90' Liverpool have not shut up shop and are still searching for a winner.
Not sure if that's the right strategy but the 10 men reds are definitely showing they have some spirit.
Six minutes of injury time for both sides to get the winner.
90+2' Joe Gomez on for Diogo Jota.
90+3' Harry Kane was offside but before that Alisson makes another solid save.
Spurs 2-2 Liverpool
A covid-hit Liverpool who end with 10 men get a point away at Spurs who have enjoyed a two week winter break.
Alisson at error for the second goal but he had made countless excellent saves so doesn't deserve singling out for it.
Robertson scores and then gets sent off, whilst Harry Kane gets a yellow card for a seemingly worse challenge.
The meat of the Chelsea and City sandwich.
