Milner in the Liverpool midfield against Spurs. How will it work?

After his stellar showing against Maribor we could see James Milner line up in the Liverpool midfield against Spurs on Sunday. This is how it would work.

We didn’t see that coming. James Milner had a break out performance against Maribor in the Champions League on Tuesday night. He came in to give Jordan Henderson a rest and ended up putting in one of the best performances we’ve seen from a Liverpool central midfielder this season. Now there is a fair chance he may play on Sunday against Spurs.

I cannot see Jürgen Klopp keeping Jordan Henderson out of this game. He is the captain and the only first teamer who didn’t play midweek. My guess is it would be Gini Wijnaldum who would make way. His struggles away from Anfield are well documented and Milner would fit well on the left of the midfield three.

That would make it Jordan Henderson (RCM), Emre Can (CM) and James Milner (LCM). Plenty of strength and experience to deal with Spurs’ physical midfield. This would work in one way when have the ball and then switch when we’re without it.

When Tottenham have the ball I expect Henderson and Milner to play deeper and cover the gaps between center backs and full backs. In particular Milner would cover the space between Dejan Lovren and Alberto Moreno. That has been an area of particular vulnerability and Milner would offer better cover than Wijnaldum. Henderson would do the same on the right. Emre Can would press higher up the pitch and run drive with ball when we won it back.

Next: This is the back four we want to see against Spurs

Then when we are in possession I think that would switch. Can would play as the deepest option with Milner and Henderson pushing forward to join the Salah and Coutinho as the widest forwards to help overwhelm the Spurs back four. It was this system that was so effective early against Maribor and Klopp could well roll it out again at Wembley on Sunday.