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• Klopp has '500 reasons' for Liverpool revenge against Spurs after VAR controversy

  Jurgen Klopp may be out for a slight revenge on Sunday when Liverpool meet Tottenham at Anfield, having fallen foul of VAR controversy in the reverse Premier League clash.

  Spurs won 2-1 at home in the previous meeting in September thanks to Joel Matip's last-gasp own goal as a nine-man Liverpool were unable to hold on at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

  The Reds also had a first-half goal from Luis Diaz ruled out for offside by the VAR after a miscommunication between the video officials and the assistant referee.

  With third-placed Liverpool winless in two league games after their 2-2 draw with West Ham last time out, Klopp has that controversy on his mind ahead of the second clash at Anfield.

  "It's always a challenge [against Spurs]," the Liverpool manager said at his pre-match press conference.

  "I don't want to make it the biggest subject, but I can't forget the Tottenham game as well, it's just so strange.

  "So, now we play Tottenham and that was obviously not their fault that night, they just played the game, but I would like to win that game for 500 reasons, that we lost there and the way we lost is one of them."

  Tottenham have struggled recently, losing each of their last three after a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea that left them seven points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa, who have played a game more.

  Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was visibly furious in the first half at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, and acknowledged Tottenham have a long way to go to compete with the elite.

  He said: "We need change. Change has to happen. You can’t want to alter your course, and quite dramatically for this club because we went down a certain direction and now we’re pivoting to a whole different direction.

  "To expect the same people are going to be on that… it's just not going to happen.

  "We've had two windows and we've had some development of players but when I say we've still got a long way to go, that's what I'm talking about."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

  Mohamed Salah may have a point to prove against Tottenham, after his disagreement with Klopp before coming on at London Stadium in Liverpool's last outing.

  The Egypt forward has gone four Premier League games without a goal or assist – and now is the time for Salah to step up and deliver for the Reds.

  Tottenham – Son Heung-min

  Son Heung-min has scored in each of his last four Premier League appearances against Liverpool, putting Spurs 1-0 up in the reverse fixture in September.

  The only player to score in five consecutive Premier League games against the Reds is Jamie Vardy (between 2016 and 2017).

  MATCH PREDICTION – LIVERPOOL WIN

  Liverpool may not have won in two Premier League games but they are the favourites in this clash, owing to their remarkable head-to-head record with Spurs at Anfield.

  The Reds have lost just one of their last 29 home league matches against Tottenham (W19 D9), a 2-0 defeat way back in May 2011.

  Yet it will be no walkover as Spurs are looking to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the 2010-11 season, beating two different Reds managers that season (Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish).

  Their last league double over the Reds beating the same manager twice was in Dalglish’s first spell in 1986-87, and this one could be filled with more late drama, too.

  Liverpool (3) v Tottenham (3) has provided six 90th-minute winners in the Premier League, the most of any fixture in the competition’s history.

  Indeed, both of the last two league meetings between the two sides have been won courtesy of a 90th-minute winner for the home team – will there be another here?

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Liverpool win – 55.7%

  Tottenham win – 19.5%

  Draw – 24.8%

• Emery demands Villa adapt after European defeat before Seagulls visit

  Unai Emery says Aston Villa must adapt to the varying challenges of European and domestic football ahead of Sunday's Premier League meeting with an "amazing" Brighton at Amex Stadium.

  Villa boss Emery has become renowned as somewhat of a European mastermind, having won three Europa Leagues with Sevilla and another when in charge of Villarreal.

  Yet the Spaniard will have been disappointed as Villa slipped to a 4-2 home defeat against Olympiacos in Thursday's Europa Conference League semi-final first leg.

  Emery acknowledged his Champions League-chasing Villa must prepare differently for different challenges in Europe as they prepare to return to domestic action against Brighton.

  He said: "We want to grow up in Europe, playing Europa League and Champions League. I like it.

  "The players have to adapt to that situation playing more matches than normal and then try to take experiences and manage those competitions and try to be successful in both."

  European football is on the cards next term at Villa Park, too, with Emery's fourth-placed side seven points clear of Tottenham, who have played a game fewer.

  Villa can move one step closer to an unlikely Champions League qualification with victory at Brighton, though Emery knows a tough task awaits against Roberto De Zerbi.

  "The respect for Roberto de Zerbi is high," he added. "He is an amazing coach, he was playing very good last year.

  "It is amazing how they play."

  Brighton, meanwhile, are winless in six straight Premier League games and have been demolished by Bournemouth and Manchester City in recent weeks.

  That winless run leaves the Seagulls 12th in the table and Brighton head coach De Zerbi is desperate for a response on Sunday, even if they are out of European contention.

  "I spoke about motivation not because we want to go on holiday tomorrow or next week," De Zerbi said. "When the target is not so close it is tough to accept for a team who is used to fighting for the important target.

  "This season until the Brentford game, until maybe the Burnley game, we have had the chance to qualify for another year in the Europe League.

  "I think after that we lost something of energy and of motivation."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Brighton – Joao Pedro

  Brighton have not managed a goal from one of their own players since Danny Welbeck scored after just two minutes in the March 31 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.

  De Zerbi may look to Joao Pedro to end that struggle, with the forward's eight league goals leading the club's scoring charts – though he has not scored since March 2 against Crystal Palace.

  Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins

  Ollie Watkins has scored six goals in his last four Premier League appearances against Brighton, including a hat-trick in Villa’s 6-1 win earlier this season. It’s the most goals he’s netted against an opponent in the competition.

  The England striker has also been involved in eight goals in his last five Premier League away games, scoring six and assisting two. His 10 Premier League away goals overall this season is the most of any English player in the competition.

  MATCH PREDICTION – ASTON VILLA WIN

  The Opta supercomputer struggled to split these two sides in the pre-match predictions, though Villa are the narrow favourites for this one considering recent head-to-head clashes.

  Emery's men won 6-1 in this season’s reverse Premier League fixture against Brighton – they last netted more than six against an opponent in 2020-21 vs Liverpool (8), while their most goals against an opponent in a season is 10 against Wimbledon in 1994-95.

  Brighton have also lost their last five Premier League matches against Villa by an aggregate score of 14-3. The Seagulls last suffered six defeats in a row against a side between 2019 and 2022 against Man Utd.

  Villa, meanwhile, will be looking to register six consecutive top-flight wins against an opponent for the first time since between 2005 and 2010 against fierce rivals Birmingham City.

  The visitors may be confident of doing so given De Zerbi's men have lost their last two league games by an aggregate score of 7-0.

  The Seagulls last lost more in a row in the competition in March 2022 (run of six – the third of which was at home to Villa), while they last conceded 3+ goals in three successive league matches in October 2011 as a Championship side.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Brighton win – 35.4%

  Aston Villa win – 35.7%

  Draw – 28.9%

• Luton boss Edwards urges Hatters to keep the faith in Premier League relegation scrap

  Rob Edwards urged his Luton Town team and the club's supporters to keep the faith as the Hatters aim to stay in the Premier League.

  A 1-1 draw with Everton at home on Friday was not the result Luton truly needed as they look to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

  It moved Luton onto 26 points, level with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who face already-relegated Sheffield United on Saturday.

  Forest could yet be in to get some of the four points they were deducted for a breach of the Premier League's financial rules back, however, with a decision on their appeal expected to arrive in the coming days.

  Edwards hinted at that uncertainty in his comments after the Everton game, as he asked his team to keep going.

  He said: "We wanted a win. We threw everything at it. We tried. We were the team pushing right until the end.

  "In the end a draw wasn't what we wanted. I'm proud of the players, the club, the supporters. They stayed with us until the end. We tried to do all the right things. We're still in the mix.

  "On another day we could have won the game but we didn't. We've got to keep going. We don't have a crystal ball. It might be four points, five, six. It might be enough. We've got to believe it is, [so] we go again."

  Luton head to West Ham next week, before hosting Fulham on the final day of the season.

  Everton, who took the lead through Dominic Calvert-Lewin's penalty but were pegged back by Elijah Adebayo's strike, were already sure of their Premier League status heading into Friday's match.

  Asked if he had a preference on which team out of Forest, Luton and his former club Burnley avoided the drop, Sean Dyche told reporters: "No one cared about us at Everton when we were down there last season, so they will have to fight it out.

  "We had to fight it out last season and take care of ourselves, all the clubs will have to fight it out.

  "We took care of ourselves again this season with many challenges and I am very proud of that, but it is not for choosing ifs, buts and maybes and sides.

  "I have been down there myself and you have to take care of yourself. No one gives you anything, they have all got to fight it out and see who gets the job done.”