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So, the Reds' testing start to the season continues.

After Monday's 3-1 loss to champions Manchester City, Liverpool go to White Hart Lane on Sunday to face a Tottenham Hotspur side who have kicked off their Premier League campaign with back-to-back wins.

Having accounted for West Ham and QPR, the game against the Reds represents a step up in class for Spurs. And, of course, there is the Mario Balotelli factor to reckon with, as the Italian striker is primed to make his LFC debut.

Revenge will no doubt be on the agenda too for the North London club, humbled 5-0 on their own ground by a rampant Liverpool last December.

All in all, it should be a great game. So we spoke to Martin Cloake, a writer and Spurs season ticket holder, to get his take on it.

It’s been a perfect start to the season for Spurs. Has Mauricio Pochettino already put his stamp on the team?

Martin Cloake (MC): We’ve only really had one match to see, as the sending off of Kyle Naughton against West Ham meant the game plan changed. But even there, the way Pochettino reorganised in that game, and the way he used his subs, gave an encouraging indication of a change in approach.

The opposition in both league games so far has been poor, so Spurs haven’t really been tested, but there’s an air of positivity and togetherness about the club that’s been sorely missed. The players look switched on, hungry and confident in the high line and pressing game that Pochettino has made his name using. But it’s very early days and there will be troughs as well as peaks to negotiate.

Coming up against Liverpool at this stage is a fascinating prospect because it will be Tottenham’s first stern test, and because it pits two astute managers with squads so technically accomplished players against each. For both sides, it will be the first real indication of what can realistically be achieved this season.

How much has changed at Spurs since last December’s 5-0 loss to the Reds?

MC: That 5-0 loss seemed to be the game in which everyone gave up – AVB, the players, everyone. It was tremendously disappointing because recent years have seen some cracking games between the two sides, because it signalled a complete breakdown of faith throughout the club, and because the decision to spend the Bale money on so many new recruits was exposed as a waste. Tim Sherwood emerged from the politicking that has plagued the club so often and so immediately divided the fan base, who looked on aghast as Spurs apparently wrote the season off before the halfway mark. It was the worst kind of temporary solution, and it led to one of the most joyless campaigns in recent memory.

What that’s done, oddly enough, is remind Spurs fans that enjoying the game is a pretty essential part of any entertainment industry, and instil a sense of realism about the challenges ahead. That, together with the air of purpose and togetherness Pochettino seems to have created, has created a bit of a buzz that might even show through the soporific atmosphere that comes with Sunday lunchtime kick-offs.

It’s also worth mentioning the way the relationship between the supporters trust at Spurs and the Spirit of Shankly has really grown in the last year, especially after SOS raised a banner on the Kop in memory of the Trust’s former chair. We know how much of an honour that is, and it’s cemented the mutual respect between two sets of fans passionate about their football on and off the pitch.

How will do you expect Spurs to set up on Sunday and who have been the stand-out players so far?

MC: I’d be surprised if it wasn’t 4-2-3-1, but I suspect we’ll see both sides change their shape at some stage during the game. Both managers like players who can perform in a variety of positions, and that’s one of the enticing prospects. Spurs will have to deal with Liverpool’s pace, and Etienne Capoue’s showing so far as a midfielder in front of the back four gives us some confidence we’ll be able to do so.

Pochettino’s two central midfielders are key to the way the team now operates, effecting the transition from defence to attack, so the midfield battle is going to be absolutely key.

Stand out players? Well, Eric Dier has been a really pleasant surprise so far, Capoue has impressed alongside Nabil Bentelab in the midfield two, and Erik Lamela was absolutely outstanding against QPR. Up front, Spurs don’t look top have the cutting edge of Liverpool, and so much depends on whether Emmanuel Adebayor is up for a performance. On his day, he’s the best striker we’ve got and a real asset. He just needs to have more days.

What do you make of Mario Balotelli’s arrival at Anfield and Liverpool’s summer spending spree?

MC: Balotelli has scored goals wherever he’s played, he’s quick, powerful and blessed with bags of skill. But he’s also utterly unpredictable. It may seem odd to say there’s a touch of the Gascoigne about him, but think about it.

It looks like he’ll make his debut and we’ll have to be wary. He’ll get a hot reception - his stamp on Scott Parker’s head during a vital Man City v Spurs game a couple of seasons ago has not been forgotten, especially as he escaped any punishment and went on to score the winner when he should have been reflecting on a red card.

I think Liverpool might be in for a more difficult season than people imagine, although I’d still expect them to be challenging. Last year, Brendan Rodgers said of Spurs that when you spend over £100m, you’ve got to be challenging for the title. So there you have it - there’s pressure there this year that wasn’t there last when Liverpool were the surprise package.

Who are you most wary of in the Reds’ squad?

MC: I really like Coutinho, he is so gifted and intelligent, great to watch and he can do so much damage. And, of course, Balotelli on his debut with something to prove is a danger. I’d have preferred to face him a few months down the line just as the first crisis is building up.

Prediction time. How will it finish on Sunday?

MC: It sounds like a kop out (see what I did there?) but it’s got score draw written all over it, probably 1-1. Two works in progress, two teams finding how they fit into their skins, two managers committed to attack and entertain. I’m pretty certain that it will be more enjoyable than the corresponding fixture last year.

Martin's latest book, "Taking Our Ball Back: English Football’s Culture Wars", is available as a paperback and ebook from Amazon.