Sunday 21 / December / 2025
Liverpool --- Liverpool secured a chaotic 2-1 victory over a nine-man Tottenham Hotspur, a result overshadowed by a potentially serious injury to their record signing Alexander Isak, which compounded manager Arne Slot’s mounting selection crisis.
The match turned on a moment of soaring hope and sudden despair for the hosts. After entering as a second-half substitute, the £125 million striker Isak announced his arrival with a superb finish past Guglielmo Vicario in the 73rd minute, providing a glimpse of a potent new partnership with fellow big-money arrival Florian Wirtz, who registered the assist.
However, the celebration was brutally short-lived. Isak was immediately felled by a challenge from Micky van de Ven and had to be stretchered off in clear distress, casting a pall over Anfield.
The injury capped a punishing day for Liverpool’s squad depth. Right-back Conor Bradley was substituted at halftime, and replacement Jeremie Frimpong—making his first appearance since October—was himself withdrawn late on as a precaution. Despite fielding two red-carded Spurs players, following dismissals for Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero, Liverpool nearly squandered their lead before Hugo Ekitike’s 89th-minute strike sealed the nervy win.
The three points extend Liverpool’s unbeaten run to six games and lift them level with fourth-place Chelsea ahead of the festive fixtures. Yet the victory comes at a significant cost, leaving Slot to navigate a deepening injury list while searching for consistency from a team that, despite recent results, continues to raise more questions than it answers.
