You'll have plenty to celebrate when you subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The Premier League table provides proof that money isn’t everything in football.

When the drama began back in August, Liverpool and Tottenham had very different targets.

For Brendan Rodgers’ side, the goal was to improve on seventh and mount a challenge for a top four spot.

Spurs, on the back of an eye-watering £107million summer spending spree, were being tipped as title-contenders.

Yet with the finishing line in sight it’s the resurgent Reds who find themselves in contention for the big prize, while the Londoners are seven points adrift of the final Champions League place.

A turbulent campaign in the capital has been in stark contrast to the serene progress Liverpool have enjoyed.

Rodgers’ men are 12 points better off than sixth-placed Spurs and will be gunning for an eighth successive league victory when the clubs meet at Anfield tomorrow.

In pictures: LFC train ahead of Spurs clash

“It’s not all about money, it’s about strategy,” Rodgers told the ECHO.

“Don’t get me wrong, money can buy you brilliant players but you need to have a vision and a philosophy so those players fit into that.

“It’s been difficult for Tottenham. If you go back to the summer a lot of people were anticipating that they would be challenging for the league title. That was the reality and they probably felt that themselves.

“When you spend £100million you’re looking to be challenging for it but it hasn’t quite worked out that way.”

Rodgers, who spurned Tottenham’s advances when they were searching for Harry Redknapp’s successor in 2012 before accepting the Liverpool job, believes the manner in which his Anfield revolution has gathered pace highlights the importance of continuity and stability.

There has been precious little of that at White Hart Lane with the Reds’ emphatic 5-0 win over Spurs back in December triggering the end of Andre Villas-Boas’ reign.

Tim Sherwood was swiftly installed as head coach but after a mixed run of results his future in the job is uncertain.

“They have a wonderful facility there but it’s about the people,” Rodgers said.

“Unless you bring in the right people and trust them to do the job then you are continually chopping and changing. You waste time, money and effort.

“They made a change a couple of years ago. Harry (Redknapp) had them in the Champions League. Looking at the squad now, was it the right thing to do? People will question that.

“It’s about the strategy and that comes from the top. Tim has come in and I hope he gets time.

“He needs to be given time otherwise it’s another managerial change. How many are they going to have? It’s been about 12 in 19 years. You are never going to take a club forward that way.”

It was Liverpool’s thrashing of Spurs before Christmas – their biggest ever victory at White Hart Lane – which made their rivals sit up and take notice.

In the four months since the Reds have proved it wasn’t a one-off having dished out similar hidings to Everton and Arsenal.

That’s the standard Rodgers wants to see tomorrow as his players seek to complete the club’s first league double over the Londoners since 2007.

History is on the hosts’ side with Tottenham having won just four of the last 67 league meetings at Anfield.

“It was a complete performance from us at White Hart Lane,” Rodgers said.

“We played some fantastic attacking football and showed our dominance in the game both with and without the ball.

“We have continued to grow and get better throughout the season. Tottenham weren’t the only team to feel our force this season.

“Sunday is a game we’re really looking forward to. We’re in a real good moment with seven wins on the spin but we won’t be complacent. They have really good players and we know it’s going to be a tough game.

“They are fighting like ourselves to be in the Champions League. They will have expected to be in it more than us because that’s been their recent history. They are 12 points behind us but they will want to keep fighting.

“Tim has gone in and brought passion into their team. They are coming off the back of a good result against Southampton but we are at Anfield and we expect to win there.”

Tomorrow will be the Reds’ third game in the space of eight days and Rodgers is likely to keep faith with the side which beat Sunderland 2-1 in midweek.

Title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City boast greater strength in depth and have the luxury of being able to freshen up their starting XI with top class talent. However, Rodgers is confident that fatigue won’t hamper Liverpool in their pursuit of glory.

“We are in very good condition physically,” he said. “We have shown our levels right the way through the season with the speed and intensity of our game.

“The methodology of how we set up on a daily basis is based around technical, tactical, physical and mental.

“Each facet of the game is tapered towards that development.

“This is our third game in a week but we’re ready for it.

“There are 21 points left to play for and we have to go for every point we can.

“We need to focus solely on Tottenham. We wanted to fight to get into the top four this season and we haven’t guaranteed that yet.”

More on LFC today:

Exclusive: Rodgers tells players and fans to "keep calm and enjoy" rest of the season

Video: Darren Farley's brilliant impressions of Rodgers, Gerrard, Carragher and more

Rodgers hails "incredible" Gerrard as skipper moves close to Dalglish goal tally

Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur: three key questions

Click here for Jan Molby's column today

Jordan Henderson: Stevie is a massive player for us

Rodgers: Reds' hunger can give us the edge in title race

Video: Reds stars past and present compete in 'taste, touch and smell challenge'