The Mirror

TOTTENHAM 1-2 LIVERPOOL: Second-half goals from Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak helped the Reds battle past nine-man Spurs in the Premier League on Saturday evening

Twenty four days ago, Arne Slot wore the look of a beaten man. Liverpool had just been pulverised by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield in the Champions League and incredibly, he appeared to be staring down the barrel of the sack.

Fast-forward one month and he remains the Reds' king of the Kop. Not only has he resolved the awkward and delicate Mohamed Salah debacle impeccably but the Premier League champions now have their mojo back.

They are six unbeaten in all competitions and with basement boys Wolves and Leeds next up on the agenda, you can't shake the feeling that genuine momentum is now finally building. Liverpool were made to work for victory by nine-man Tottenham and despite weathering the late barrage, retaining their crown still looks firmly out of the question.

Yet still, there is something admirable about the way Slot has wrestled back the tide when he looked as good as doomed. No wonder the Liverpool hierarchy never lost faith in him because this was yet another performance where his stars ran through brick walls for the Dutchman, even if they looked shaky at the death.

Slot's substitutions, particularly the half-time introduction of Alexander Isak for crocked right-back Conor Bradley, were masterful, too.

Isak's worrying-looking injury upon scoring the opener soured the triumph somewhat but contextually, it's important to note this was one of spirited Spurs' best performances on their own patch by some distance.

Though the great irony of it all was that it also marked a club-record 11th top-flight home defeat for the first time ever in the Premier League era.

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, there was a bite to Tottenham from the get-go, an edge to underline they were not willing to hand respect to Liverpool but it soon proved to be their Achilles' heel.

They pressed with aggression and flew out of the traps with purpose, it was a total far-cry from the disastrous self-destructive start against Fulham when calamitous Spurs found themselves two goals behind inside just eight minutes.

Randal Kolo Muani had three shots at goal inside the opening half-hour and easily could have nodded the hosts ahead at the far post following dogged and determined work from Djed Spence.

Emotionally-charged Spurs then overstepped the mark, however, when Xavi Simons caught the calf of Virgil van Dijk with his studs.

You can debate the playmaker's intentions but those that have watched Tottenham of late will acknowledge that Simons' dismissal had been coming.

The fiery Dutchman flies into challenges full-blooded, as seen for his maiden goal against Brentford and in the VAR era, it's rare you are let off the hook when the replays look damning.

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It was poor judgement from Xavi to say the least and ultimately proved costly for Spurs as second-half goals from Isak and Hugo Ekitike inflicted the damage - despite Richarlison's consolation.

Liverpool look like a side capable of motoring to new heights, while you begin to wonder whether things will ever click for Thomas Frank.

It's hard to be overly critical or cynical given they played with one less man for 57 minutes but there is a lingering feeling of unease and uncertainty around the club heading into the frantic festive period.

While Frank's job appears safe for now, assistant head coach Matt Wells was not on the bench as he closes in on a switch to MLS side Colorado Rapids.

Furthermore, Spurs' managing director of football Fabio Paratici is said to be weighing up a five-year contract offer from Fiorentina just months after returning to N17.

Both are considered key figures and their departures would undeniably come as a major blow for Frank, particularly given negotiator Paratici would prove central to their January transfer plans.

For once, it's Slot that has stability and you have not been able to say that since September when Liverpool recorded their fifth straight Premier League victory at Burnley.

Liverpool secured a thrilling 2-1 Premier League victory over nine-man Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, extending their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions

Liverpool maintained their resurgence with an exhilarating 2-1 Premier League triumph over a nine-man Tottenham on Saturday evening. Xavi Simons was shown the red card in the first half for a foul on Virgil van Dijk, before substitute Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike scored, and Richarlison netted a consolation goal.

Cristian Romero was then sent off for a second yellow card offence.

This victory means Arne Slot's team are now unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions and have drawn level with Chelsea, who are currently fourth in the league table.

Our sister title the Liverpool ECHO were at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to rate....and slate the Liverpool players.

Liverpool player ratings vs Spurs

Alisson Becker 7 - Made some crucial saves including a header from Kolo Muani and denying the same player and Kudus before the interval.

Conor Bradley 6 - Slightly slow defensively in the opening quarter but improved as the game progressed. He was substituted at half-time due to an injury sustained in a collision with Spence.

Ibrahima Konate 7 - On the front foot against Kolo Muani and showed good judgement with the ball. He also received a yellow card.

Virgil van Dijk 8 - On the receiving end of Simons' red-card challenge and made several key headers as Tottenham pressed during injury time.

Milos Kerkez 7 - Frequently offered support down the left flank, although his deliveries were inconsistent until the second half. He also had some notable defensive moments.

Ryan Gravenberch 7 - Played a bit too cautiously when in possession before the break but did create a chance for Wirtz, and clearly relished the additional space as Tottenham saw players exit.

Curtis Jones 7 - Had plenty of time on the ball time during the first half and thrived in the extra space with Tottenham down to 10 men, but nearly assisted Tottenham's equaliser.

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Dominik Szoboszlai 7 - Operating on the right, he worked hard to fill in gaps but didn't produce much noteworthy before the interval. After which, he shifted to right-back with his usual effort.

Alexis Mac Allister 7 - Struggled to significantly influence the game from the number 10 role in the first half with Tottenham dropping deep before inadvertently sparking the move for the opener.

Florian Wirtz 8 - Aimed to get Liverpool moving with quick passes and a shot saved by Vicario before breaking through Tottenham's defence with an assist for Isak. Solid performance.

Hugo Ekitike 7 - Nearly broke through several times but lacked support and service until the second half, and a fine header above Romero for the second goal.

Substitutes

Alexander Isak (for Bradley 46) 7 - Joined Ekitike up front and produced an excellent finish for the opener until being forced off with an injury sustained while scoring.

Jeremie Frimpong (for Isak 60) 7 - Made a good impact with his pace down the right and deflected cross for the second goal. Subbed after being hit in the face by Richarlison.

Federico Chiesa (for Frimpong 90) N/A - Came on for the substitute who replaced a substitute. There's a quiz question in there somewhere.

Andy Robertson (substituted for Ekitike at 90+9) N/A - Secured a win bonus.

Trey Nyoni (replaced Wirtz at 90+9) N/A - Made his Premier League debut.

The Premier League's official match centre account on X have clarified why Liverpool's second goal against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday was allowed to stand. The account confirmed that there was normal contact for an aerial challenge between the goalscorer, Hugo Ekitike, and Christian Romero.

Goals from Alexander Isak and Ekitike continued the Reds' improved form in recent games as Arne Slot's side made it three wins in a row across all competitions with a 2-1 victory in north London. Liverpool were, however, indebted to the home side's meltdown, with Xavi Simons sent off in the first half after raking his studs down the back of Virgil van Dijk in a dangerous attempt to win the ball.

Spurs centre-back Romero was then sent off after lashing out at Ibrahima Konate in the second half. The Argentine was shown a second yellow card - not long after falling to ground in his own box before Ekitike headed in to double Liverpool's lead.

And the Premier League Match Centre account on X have confirmed why the goal stood - despite protestation from Tottenham.

"The referee’s call of goal for Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR - with it deemed there was normal contact for an aerial challenge between Ekitike and Romero," the account posted.

Saturday's defeat in the capital continued Spurs' poor home record in the league under manager Thomas Frank. Tottenham have won just twice at their home ground in the Premier League this term - losing five and drawing two.

The 11 league games Spurs have lost at home across 2025 is also the most in a calendar year in club history.

Frank, though, has shared his pride at Tottenham's performance against Slot's team.

Speaking post-match to BBC Match of the Day, he said: "First and foremost I'm extremely proud of the players and the team. I think they gave everything and showed unbelievable mentality and worked very hard on how to deal with setbacks.

"The way they responded to several setbacks was immense. The first one is the first red, which I think... I've seen it given before but I don't like it. I don't like those types of red cards because I think the game is gone if that's a red card.

"I don't think it's a reckless tackle. I don't think it's exceptional force. We have the referee call and that was a yellow so that's why I don't think that's a red.

"We dealt well with that. The players stayed in the game, defended well, kept going. Then we concede the first goal, and then the second one is a big mistake. Two hands in the back from the striker - as far as I know the laws of football you are not allowed to do that. That's fine to happen on the pitch, the referees are only human but then the VAR bails you out, which they didn't do.

"We stayed in the game, kept going, scored a very good goal for 2-1 and keep fighting. Then I think the second yellow to Cuti [Romero], you have a little feel of the game. Two big boys fighting, Konate is going through him and his foot lands on his head, no yellow. Then there's a little movement from Cuti but I don't think it's a second yellow when you feel the game. We stayed there and did well in terms of dealing with it."

Liverpool handed Alexander Isak worry but survive late Tottenham scare - 5 talking points

TOTTENHAM 1-2 LIVERPOOL: Xavi Simons' red card helps Arne Slot's side win in north London thanks to goals from summer signings Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, but they made hard work of it

Liverpool continued their mini-revival and heaped more pressure on Thomas Frank by earning victory over nine-man Tottenham. Xavi Simons' first-half red card tipped the scales in Liverpool's favour and they took full advantage to make it six games unbeaten in all competitions, despite a nervy and chaotic finish.

Simons was sent off for standing on Virgil van Dijk's calf in the 33rd minute of a dreadful first half in which the best chance fell to Randal Kolo Muani, who tamely headed straight at Alisson.

Thankfully, the game came to life after the break, when Alexander Isak was introduced by Arne Slot. A Cristian Romero mistake opened the door for Liverpool, who took advantage as Florian Wirtz found Isak to blast in as he got clattered by Micky van de Ven.

Isak was injured and had to be replaced, but the goal ignited the match as Kolo Muani struck the crossbar with a deflected shot. Minutes later and it was 2-0 as Jeremie Frimpong's cross found its way to Hugo Ekitike who climbed above Romero to nod in via the crossbar.

Richarlison climbed off the bench and fired a loose ball into the bottom corner after an air-kick by Van Dijk. But it was to prove a false dawn as Romero was shown a second yellow card in injury time and defeat left Spurs 13th in the Premier League table and with a solitary win in their last eight league games.

After a drab opening half-hour, the crowd were finally brought to their feet, but not by a chance. Simons was closing down Van Dijk when he trod on the Liverpool captain's calf. Having initially issued a yellow card, referee John Brooks was sent to the pitchside monitor and the Dutchman's fate was sealed.

The Premier League Match Centre explained: "After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of yellow card to Simons and issued a red card for serious foul play. Referee announcement: “After review, the Tottenham No.7, with studs, catches the Liverpool player [No.4] on the calf high - it's an act of serious foul play. My final decision is red card.”

Gary Neville's take on Sky Sports was slightly different in tone: "Simons was never going to get there. He rakes his studs right down the back of Van Dijk's leg. That's not clever. That's not a good challenge. He is absolutely nowhere near the football. Malicious, nasty, reckless? Whatever you want to call it. Stupidity."

The first half was a tough watch. Coming into the game under pressure, there was a cautious approach by Thomas Frank's side, who appeared to set up to frustrate their opponents, rather than impose themselves in attack.

Without Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool had a similar set-up, with Arne Slot packing the pitch with midfielders. Dominik Szoboszlai has taken the place of Salah in recent weeks on the right, while Wirtz started on the left, leaving Liverpool extremely narrow, with Milos Kerkez and Conor Bradley struggling to bomb on from full-back.

The half-time stats showed just how dull it had been, with nine shots but of little consequence, Spurs having 0.44 xG to Liverpool's 0.25 xG. Thankfully, the second half was to make up for it in drama.

Early in the second half, Spurs had the chance to counter-attack. The ball came to Mohammed Kudus in space. He turned and passed backwards. The home ground groaned. A few seconds later he got it again in space, but decided to stand on the ball. Cue more groans. Kudus then passed the ball harmlessly out of play for a Liverpool goal kick while trying to find a teammate making an imaginary run. The Spurs fans' abuse and annoyance was audible.

Frank reacted and replaced Kudus - a £55million and previously exciting winger - with Brennan Johnson. But his embarrassing few minutes summed up his team: bereft of confidence, seemingly confused by the game plan and worried about taking risks.

Peter Crouch was among the pundits to suggest that Salah's absence would give Slot the chance to play Isak alongside Ekitike. He was right, but not in the way he might have expected, with the two of them only on the pitch together for less than 10 minutes. But there was still a glimpse of Liverpool's future.

Firstly, it was Wirtz who slid Isak in with a nicely-weighted through ball. The ex-Newcastle man did what he used to be known for, by confidently smashing his finish into the net. But the excitement around Ekitike will be even greater, with the way he bullied Romero to nod in no doubt bringing thousands of clenched fists around the globe from Reds fans; he now has five goals in his last three league games and looks the part.

All looked lost for Spurs, right up until it didn't. Richarlison's introduction from the bench lifted the crowd and he was in the right place at the right time to sweep in a loose ball, following pinball in the box. Van Dijk somehow missed his swing at the ball, gifting the chance to the Brazilian, who found the bottom corner and managed to stir things by pushing Ekitike's neck into the ground while picking the ball out of the net.

Romero made things easier for Liverpool by aiming a sly kick at Ibrahima Konate following a challenge. But Alisson still had to make a few saves from Pedro Porro to clinch the three points as they somehow toiled against nine men.

Liverpool have been handed a fresh injury concern as Alexander Isak picked up an issue just over 10 minutes after coming onto the pitch against Tottenham. The striker was brought on at half-time, with the game still level at 0-0, but with the hosts reduced to 10 men following a red card for Xavi Simons.

Isak managed to find the breakthrough after his arrival, following a series of mistakes in the Spurs backline that allowed Florian Wirtz to feed him. The striker quickly put the chance away, but in doing so, collided with Micky van de Ven, who seemingly caused some damage.

The Liverpool striker's leg seemed to get stuck between the defender's, going straight to ground in some pain in the immediate aftermath.

After some lengthy treatment from the medical staff, he was helped off the pitch in what was another frustrating moment for the club-record signing.

Isak has had a stop-start beginning to his career at Anfield, after a summer saga that dragged on until he finally made the switch from Newcastle United.

That move meant he didn't have a full pre-season, and given the way Liverpool have struggled in general, it has been a challenge for Arne Slot to ease him into action.

The Swedish international has been in and out of the team, scoring his first Premier League goal for the side against West Ham late last month with a cool finish.

That was seen as an opportunity to kick on, though he has been given just the one league start in the time since he scored in that game.

Slot defended the signing earlier this month, when he said: "That was the most difficult thing about signing him [the lack of pre-season]. I think I said back then that we signed him for six years, not for three months, and I’ve tried to make clear from the start how difficult the first few months would be for him.

"Every player wants to play 90 minutes (after) 90 minutes so it’s not nice for Alex to play 60, go off the next game and another (team-mate) comes in and then he can play 60 again. That’s not the way you want to start your career at Liverpool.

"It is far, far from an ideal situation but, again, this club doesn’t buy a player for half a year. We bought him for six years. As a result of that, people are now coming with stats about his 12 games (two goals scored).

"We are living in a grown-up world and the life of a striker is always like this. I assume he also had spells in his career when he didn’t score for a few games in a row. If you do what Alex has done I don’t think it would influence your confidence that much.

"But of course it is nicer for a number nine to start your career at a new club scoring immediately goal after goal. But that was so unrealistic straight away. I’ve tried to say it in my words without making it too obvious, but (this start is) almost something we could expect.

"If a player starts in the middle of a season and his fitness level is not as high as the others and we have three games a week so there is hardly any time to train, it does take time for any player to get to the levels we want. But I have no doubt that eventually he will become the player we signed him to be."

It remains to be seen just how serious the injury is, with Isak seen in quite some discomfort as he was forced off, and it could delay his impact even further.

Xavi Simons was sent off for serious foul play after a horror challenge on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. With the score at 0-0, the Tottenham winger was given a yellow card after fouling Van Dijk.

However, referee John Brooks was advised by officials at Stockley Park to re-check the incident and subsequently upgraded the punishment to a straight red card. A statement from the Premier League Match Centre reads: "After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of yellow card to Simons and issued a red card for serious foul play.

"Referee announcement: 'After review, the Tottenham No.7, with studs, catches the Liverpool player [No.4] on the calf high - it's an act of serious foul play. My final decision is red card'.

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville issued a scathing review of the incident, saying: "That wasn't clever. He was never going to get there. He rakes his studs right down Van Dijk. It's a poor, poor challenge.

"He is absolutely nowhere near the football. Malicious, nasty, reckless? Whatever you want to call it. Stupidity.

"I can see why it's being checked. It's a ridiculous challenge. Virgil van Dijk is six foot four and 15 stone. If it is the other way around, it's a leg breaker.

"Thomas Frank is having a whinge about it, but none of the Tottenham players are complaining. The ones who have seen it are going 'what are you doing?'"

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Ex-Spurs midfielder Andy Reid, who was covering the game for BBC Radio 5 Live, added: "It's a difficult one, by the letter of the law its down the back of Virgil van Dijk's Achilles with his studs. It's a silly one from Xavi Simons."

At half time, Jamie Redknapp - who played for both clubs - said: "Xavi Simons does something so ridiculous that I don't know what he's thinking.

"He's got it completely wrong. He's backed into the back of him and catches his achilles. It's a stupid challenge that constitutes a red card."

Daniel Sturridge said: "It's unfortunate. It does look worse in slow motion. He's jut got it wrong in how he's gone about it.

"I don't think he's a malicious type of player who would try and hurt an international team-mate. He's got it completely wrong."

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Liverpool have been handed an important update ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, while Mohamed Salah is set to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations

Liverpool face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday. Arne Slot's side started the beginning of the season well, winning five consecutive games before going on a shocking losing run with only a handful of wins to save pride. However, it seems the tide is finally turning for the Reds, who are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions.

Standing in their way are Thomas Frank's Spurs, who have been equally inconsistent so far this campaign. While they have recorded wins against the likes of Manchester City, there have been heavy defeats to rivals Arsenal, as well as falling to a 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest last weekend.

The scales seem to be tipping in the favour of Liverpool for this one, but Spurs have a lot to prove and Frank will be aware that a win against the Premier League champions could be the catalyst to kick-start their season properly. Ahead of this match, Mirror Football takes a look at all the biggest news coming from the Red side of the clash.

Arne Slot squad update

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Slot provided an injury update on some of Liverpool's absent players.

Slot explained that Dutch international Cody Gakpo and Englishman Joe Gomez are confirmed absentees for the trip to London. "He [Gakpo] had a scan that looked promising so that means that we are not that worried anymore, as we were maybe one or two weeks ago," said Slot.

"So that means he might come back a bit earlier than expected two weeks ago, but that’s definitely not tomorrow and also not next week. Joe is not in the squad as well for the weekend and Dominik trained yesterday, parts of the training [session], for the first time so let’s see where he is today and how he is tomorrow. Jeremie is in the squad again as well."

On Szoboszlai, he said: "That completely depends on how he does today. So if he can fulfil the whole training session and then you speak to the player and the medical staff.

"If the player feels comfortable to play and he did all the things he had to do, then he will start. If he can fulfil the whole session or he fulfils it but he doesn’t feel comfortable himself, we will have a discussion.

"But Dom has been a starter for me in the one-and-a-half years I am here now and for the performances he’s brought in, he would be a starter tomorrow if he is completely fit."

Salah prepares for next step

Mohamed Salah caused uproar with his accusations that he had been 'thrown under a bus' following Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds United earlier this month.

He was subsequently left out of Arne Slot's squad for the Champions League clash with Inter Milan, before coming on a substitute last weekend against Brighton. Salah has since departed Liverpool as he prepares to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, and his future at Anfield is still very much up in the air.

The Liverpool forward has now begun training with Egypt at the Taghazout Stadium in Agadir, with his side preparing to face Zimbabwe on December 22. The national side's first training session with their full AFCON squad took place on Thursday, and included Salah in the 28-player collective.

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.

Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Gomez: Latest Liverpool injury news ahead of Tottenham clash  The Mirror