Brendan Rodgers has been insisting his Liverpool side are improving with every game, despite their overreliance on Luis Suarez, and their lack of creativity in midfield tripping them up on a few occasions.
Tottenham will test just how much Liverpool have actually improved when they host the Reds at White Hart Lane in the marquee match of a full round of English Premier League fixtures in midweek.
Liverpool, who have 16 points from three games and lie in eleventh place, looked pretty pedestrian against Swansea City on Sunday, rarely looking like they would create enough chances to trouble the opponents' defense. While progress in possession play and neat short passing is evident, the lack of cutting edge also stands out like a sore thumb.
Rodgers' side just don't look capable enough to score enough goals to challenge for a top four position. However, whenever Suarez has the ball at his feet he looks dangerous and capable of carving open any defense. But, without the Uruguayan it is hard to imagine Liverpool finding the back of the net with any sort of regularity, even with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard in their ranks.
Tottenham, though, will be buoyed by their impressive 3-1 win over London rivals West Ham Sunday, and Andre Villas-Boas will stress on the importance of keeping the momentum, as Spurs, level on points with sixth-placed Arsenal, battle for a top-four spot.
Jermain Defoe keeps scoring for the London side, and with the quality provided by the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon, the England international will expect to hit at least 20 goals this season.
Defoe's striking partner Emmanuel Adebayor will serve the second of his three-match suspension, while Moussa Dembele, who played the last 10 minutes against West Ham following a lengthy injury absence, could return to the starting lineup.
Lucas Leiva is expected to return to Liverpool at the weekend against Southampton, while Andre Wisdom could be available after missing the game against Swansea.
Liverpool have been playing with Jose Enrique as a winger, with Rodgers choosing to use Stewart Downing at left-back against Swansea. It's obvious Rodgers doesn't quite trust Enrique as a defender and Downing as a winger.
The creativity, however, will need to come from the wide areas, with Spurs likely to go with two defensive midfielders in Sandro and Tom Huddlestone. Enrique and Sterling will be the go-to men to provide Suarez with the much-needed service, while Gerrard will try to spread the play as much as possible.
The Spurs game will be a perfect test to see just how far Liverpool have come under the new manager, just like it will be an examination of how far Tottenham can go this season under Villas-Boas.
So, definitely plenty to play for, for both teams.
Expected lineups: Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Caulker, Vertonghen; Sandro, Huddlestone; Lennon, Dembele, Bale; Defoe.
Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Wisdom; Allen, Sahin; Sterling, Gerrard, Enrique; Suarez.
Prediction: 2-1 to Tottenham
