Dembele-Wanyama midfield axis vital in Spurs' trip to Liverpool

As we head into the weekend fixtures, Tottenham are Chelsea’s closest challengers for the Premier League title. Granted, they sit nine points behind their London rivals, but Spurs will be looking to close that gap when they make the trip to Anfield on Saturday. Victory would see the north London side move seven points ahead of the Reds, though that is easier said than done. Tottenham have failed to win any of their last six competitive trips to Anfield, losing four. Liverpool may have failed to win a league game in 2017, but they remain one of the more imposing teams in England’s top tier. 

A trip to Anfield is always a tough proposition, and Saturday will be no different for Spurs. That they’re without key men Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose only increases the difficulty of the trip for Mauricio Pochettino’s side as they look to bolster their title credentials ahead of Chelsea’s tough trip to Burnley on Sunday. Fortunately for Pochettino, he’s able to maximise the availability of perhaps the most physically imposing central midfield partnership in the Premier League. 

The absences of Vertonghen and Rose is likely to see Pochettino continue in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele operating as the deep-lying midfield pair once more. Wanyama has started every Premier League fixture this season following his arrival from Southampton, while Dembele has registered 15 top-flight starts, taking into account his suspension carried over from last season and injury. Yet, when the duo have started together, Spurs have been solid. 

Spurs have conceded just 16 goals this season, fewer than any other Premier League team, with the midfield pairing playing a key role in that defensive solidity. Respective WhoScored ratings of 7.34 (Dembele) and 7.21 (Wanyama) are respectable to say the least, forming an imposing partnership reminiscent of the Dembele-Sandro midfield axis of the 2012/13 campaign. Dembele is once again the player delegated with carrying the ball forward as Wanyama marshals the midfield in a bid to rob the opposition of possession. 

Indeed, only three players have won possession in the midfield third more times than Wanyama (105) in the Premier League this season, one of whom is expected midfield opponent Jordan Henderson (118). The Reds captain may draw his critics, but remains a key cog in Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3-3 set up as he shields the Liverpool defence with aplomb. Only Idrissa Gueye (93) has made more tackles than Henderson (88) in the Premier League this season, while the 23-year-old has made more passes (2007) than any other player in England’s top tier this term. 

Minimising his influence, then, is essential, and only adds to the importance of Wanyama and Dembele churning out match winning displays in the middle of the park. When the pair are on top form, they are an effective duo in midfield that offer both defensive solidity and offensive thrust. Dembele averages more tackles per game (3) than any other Tottenham player, while Wanyama makes the third most (2.7) of every performer at the club. What’s more is that Dembele is completing the most dribbles per game (3.1) of all Spurs players this campaign to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’. Dembele remains one of the toughest players to rob of possession in the Premier League, combining both his physical standing with slight of touch to ghost past opponents with consummate ease. 

While he and Eric Dier formed a solid partnership last term, Wanyama’s tenacity allows for him to cover more ground than his English teammate, meaning Spurs are more than capable of turning over possession quicker and thus instigating rapid attacks. As such, only Jan Vertonghen (59) is averaging more passes per game than Wanyama (58.7) of all Spurs players, with Dembele (55.9) placing third on that list. Furthermore, Dembele is top for pass success rate (91.9%) and Wanyama third (88.4%) in the Premier League this term, with the pair hugely effective at robbing the opposition of possession before laying the ball on to a teammate. 

With Spurs averaging the third most possession away from home (56.9%) in the Premier League this season, the pairing’s influence in the middle of the park is crucial if Tottenham are to come away with a win at Anfield for the first time since 2011. Liverpool may have laboured through 2017 so far, but on their day are a tough team to overcome. The attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho is one of the most fluid in the country and with Rose and Vertonghen both sidelined, it only increases the importance of Wanyama and Dembele to protect the backline, while in the process limiting the opportunities the midfield has of playing the ball forward to the Liverpool frontline.

Both midfielders may not be as forward thinking as, say, Harry Winks, but in a game of this magnitude, the experience of Dembele and Wanyama is vital in ensuring Liverpool struggle to pose a sufficient attacking threat in front of their own fans.