Alexander Isak endured a bittersweet evening as the Liverpool striker scored before limping off injured in a chaotic 2-1 win over nine-man Tottenham on Saturday.
Isak broke the deadlock early in the second half in north London after Tottenham had been reduced to 10 men before the interval, with Xavi Simons sent off for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk.
The goal was only Isak’s third in 16 appearances across all competitions since his British-record £125 million ($166 million) move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day. Yet, in keeping with his stop-start introduction to life at Anfield, the 26-year-old could not fully savour the moment, hobbling off after being injured in Micky van de Ven’s desperate attempt to block his finish.
Liverpool extended their advantage when Hugo Ekitike scored his fifth goal in four games, before Richarlison’s late strike set up a tense finale that culminated in Cristian Romero’s dismissal in stoppage time, leaving Spurs with nine men.
The win lifts Arne Slot’s side to fifth in the Premier League and stretches their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions, further distancing them from the nine defeats in 12 that had plunged the champions into crisis earlier this season.
While Liverpool celebrated a third consecutive victory, Isak’s injury cast a shadow, especially with Mohamed Salah now away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt.
Slot said on Friday that Liverpool had “moved on” from the Salah controversy following the forward’s explosive interview earlier this month, in which he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club. Salah was omitted from a Champions League match at Inter Milan before returning as a substitute against Brighton, but his absence for several weeks only heightens concerns over Isak’s fitness.
Slot will now spend Christmas anxiously awaiting medical updates, while Tottenham manager Thomas Frank faces an even more uncomfortable festive period.
Spurs sit 13th after winning just once in their last eight league games, with last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest intensifying scrutiny on Frank in his first season in charge. Ange Postecoglou was dismissed despite ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League last season, and Frank could face a similar fate if results fail to improve.
Tottenham’s task became far harder in the 33rd minute when Simons raked his studs down Van Dijk’s calf in an ugly challenge from behind. Initially booked, the midfielder was sent off following a VAR review.
Slot introduced Isak at half-time after Conor Bradley was injured, and the Sweden striker needed just 11 minutes to make his mark in a move that showcased Liverpool’s lavish summer spending.
Hugo Ekitike found Florian Wirtz, whose perfectly weighted pass released Isak to finish clinically from 10 yards past Guglielmo Vicario.
Ekitike doubled the lead in the 66th minute, rising above Romero to head home Jeremie Frimpong’s deflected cross.
Richarlison pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute after Van Dijk miscued a clearance, but any late Tottenham hopes were extinguished when Romero received a second yellow card for kicking Ibrahima Konaté.
AFP
