Pochettino preaches confidence ahead of Anfield trip

Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham’s confidence “will start to grow” as they look ahead to Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool. The pair last met in June’s Champions League final, the Reds running out the 2-0 winners in Madrid, and their fortunes have been in contrast ever since.
While Liverpool have won eight of their opening nine Premier League games, the other being last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, Spurs have been a sorry sight this season.
Just three wins from nine outings has left them seventh in the table and their sluggish displays have inevitably prompted talk of unrest within the camp.
Pochettino himself previously hinted he could have left the Lilywhites if they had won in Madrid and with key players such as Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen out of contract in the summer, the side appears to be in transition.
A midweek 5-0 win over Red Star in Europe seems to have re-injected some belief into the squad and they head to Anfield with renewed confidence.
They will need that extra belief, with Liverpool not losing at home in the league since April 2017, while Spurs’ last win there came courtesy of a 2-0 success back in May 2011.
Following a 2-2 draw against Olympiacos and a 7-2 home reverse to Bayern Munich, getting on the board in the Champions League on Wednesday will certainly lift the mood.
Pochettino admits the circumstances were different from Sunday’s game but feels they can use the belief gained from the victory to build themselves up heading to Anfield. “It was a different competition but in the Champions League it is important to get the three points,” he said. “Our confidence will start to grow and I am happy with our performance but it is only a small step.”
The match is part of a Merseyside double-header for Spurs, with next weekend seeing them return to the north west to take on Everton at Goodison Park.