Hot City test

> Pep’s free-scoring Manchester will be a tough exam for Spurs’ rearguard as Reds look to cash in

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR have shown impressive durability in the Premier League lately, but they will need to be at their most steadfast to deny champions and league leaders Manchester City who travel to Wembley on Monday Frenchman can mix brilliant saves with odd decision-making as he showed with a rash dash from his area and subsequent red card in yesterday’s 2-2 draw at PSV Eindhoven – a result that leaves their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.

Lloris will be keen to redeem himself and may well have to on Monday against a City side who have scored 26 goals in nine games, conceding only three times with zero defeats.

Second-placed Liverpool will hope to steal a march on City in the battle for top spot.

Trailing the leaders on goal difference, Liverpool have made their best ever start to a Premier League season.

Victory for Liverpool at home to Cardiff tomorrow would move them top on their own and put a little pressure on City.

The good news for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is that Mo Salah is back in goalscoring form, having scored the only goal last weekend against Huddersfield and netted twice in the midweek Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade.

After four games without a goal, Salah has answered his doubters in the past week.

“It’s good that we can maybe stop talking about that – that will help a little bit,” Klopp said of Salah.

“I was not in doubt, he was not in doubt, but if you are constantly asked about it then you think something is obviously wrong or people are not happy.”

With Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all on the scoresheet in midweek, Klopp will now expect more goals against Cardiff, who have managed just one win in nine games since winning promotion.

Liverpool’s fortunes contrast starkly with their rivals Manchester United, who are already nine points adrift of Liverpool and Manchester City in 10th place and welcome an in-form Everton side to Old Trafford on Sunday.

United’s Romelu Lukaku will line up against his former club having not found the net in his last eight matches in all club competitions. In the week, Mourinho backed the Belgian to rediscover his scoring touch soon.

“Romelu is a hard-working guy and a good professional. One day the goals will arrive and the confidence will be back,” Mourinho said.

While former Chelsea boss Mourinho needs to turn around United’s season, the new man in charge at Stamford Bridge, Maurizio Sarri, could hardly have made a better start. If third-placed Chelsea avoid defeat at Burnley on Sunday he will become the club’s first manager to go undefeated in his first 10 Premier League games.

At the same time, London rivals Arsenal will be going for their 11th win in a row in all competitions when they travel a Crystal Palace side struggling to find the net. – Reuters /

dpa