Ange Postecoglou says even in-form Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah would find life a struggle at the moment in the Tottenham team he manages.
Spurs are set to face the Reds in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday (20:00 GMT), during a difficult run of form.
Tottenham have lost three and drawn one of their past four matches, including a 6-3 Premier League defeat by Liverpool on 22 December.
Egypt international Salah scored twice in that game and has netted 21 goals from 27 appearances in all competitions during a particularly eye-catching campaign.