Kings of the Kop: Tottenham's Vertonghen targeting Anfield win to pip Liverpool to fourth
Posted Tuesday, February 11, 2014 by Dailystar.co.uk
JAN VERTONGHEN reckons Tottenham may have to win at Anfield to reach the Champions League this season.
REVENGE: Vertongen and his team-mates will be looking to avenge their humiliating 5-0 loss to Liverpool earlier in the season
But the Spurs defender is convinced his side have what it takes to do just that after finally beating a big side at White Hart Lane.
Sunday’s win over Everton was the first time all season Spurs have beaten a top-seven team at home in the Premier League.
It left Spurs just three points behind Liverpool in the race for the top four - but Vertonghen already thinks the March 30 clash between the teams could decide it.
Last time they met, the Reds dished out a 5-0 thrashing at the Lane which prompted Spurs to sack boss Andre Villas-Boas.
But Vertonghen insists Spurs are a different side now under Tim Sherwood, who has brought Sunday’s matchwinner Emmanuel Adebayor in from the cold.
He said: “It was a bad day for us against Liverpool and I hope when we go there... we probably need a win, so we will go for that.
“We were unlucky as well that day. We had a lot of injuries. At the time I think we had 10 injuries and some important players as well.
IN FROM THE COLD: The goalscoring form of Adebayor will be vital if Spurs are to claim a top-four spot
“Sometimes the manager can be unlucky. Of course he had the Emmanuel Adebayor thing and some difficult business to take care of.
“Adebayor is back now, he has been unbelievable for us. Just one player coming in can affect the team.
“We don’t have to fear Liverpool. We did it last year – we won the home game and we were 2-1 up in the away game and we were the better team.
“It was one of our better games of the season. The home game this year doesn’t reflect our strengths compared to Liverpool.”
Spurs lost 3-2 at Anfield last year to a late Steven Gerrard penalty, with Luis Suarez and Stewart Downing getting the other goals.
But Vertonghen does not have wholly painful memories of the place. He said: “Suarez scored one at Anfield last year - but I scored twice!”
Spurs have been hit and miss under Sherwood. They beat Manchester United at Old Trafford but were thrashed at home by Manchester City.
They were also outplayed by Everton, who missed a hatful of chances before going down to one of only shots on target by Tottenham in the whole game.
But Vertonghen insists there is much more to come from Spurs and said: “We can do way better than we did against Everton. They were the better team in first half.
“In the next couple of weeks we’ve got the time to train and that’s the most important thing. We need to work on our shape and our movement and the sharpness will be there.
“The main reason why we couldn’t compete for the first three places is because we’ve lost our big games this season.
“City twice, Liverpool... that’s why this is a good win for us. Everton are a very good team and it’s an unbelievable result.
“I think Tim has done a very good job until now and the club believes in him and the players as well so I hope with him we can aim for fourth place.”
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