Arne Slot drops two key Liverpool stars in surprise team to face Tottenham

Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike have been benched for Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Tottenham.

Arne Slot‘s side are at Anfield on Sunday to face a struggling Spurs.

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Cody Gakpo will lead the line as Slot named a surprising starting XI.

Ekitike (11 goals, 3 assists) and Salah (5 goals, 6 assists) have the most goal contributions for Liverpool in the Premier League this season.

Rio Ngumoha earns a first start for the Reds while Jeremie Frimpong is expected to line-up on the right.

Dominik Szoboszlai will line-up at right-back once again, allowing Joe Gomez to partner Virgil van Dijk in the centre of defence.

Andy Robertson also comes in for Milos Kerkez.

Meanwhile, Tottenham can only name seven substitutes for the clash at Anfield.

The statistics relating to encounters against Tottenham would suggest Sunday’s game is one they should win.

Liverpool have lost just one of the last 31 Anfield league meetings – in May 2011 – and at home in the Premier League they have 22 wins, nine draws and just two defeats.

Spurs’ overall league record at Anfield is terrible, with just six wins and 53 defeats in 82 visits.

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Liverpool vs Tottenham teams

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.

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

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

What has Slot said?

Slot urged his players to ‘get the maximum’ out of the remainder of their season but admitted he does not know what that will be.

A 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray leaves his side with work to do for next week’s home Champions League last-16 second leg while they remain behind their rivals in the race for a top-five spot in the Premier League.

An FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester City next month will also provide a serious challenge to their other hope of winning silverware this season.

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Liverpool’s inability to string together a run of convincing performances and results has plagued them all season, but with two months remaining time is running out for them to find that form.

“What I want is that every single player gets the maximum out of every single training session and games we are playing from now until the end of the season,” Slot said ahead of the visit of a hopelessly out of form Tottenham.

“That is the aim for me and that should be the aim for the players because that’s the only way to get the maximum out of what is there, what is in it for us.

“What that’s exactly going to be, that’s not always so easy to say in advance because sometimes you need a little bit of luck.”