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Jamie Carragher has given his verdict after Xavi Simons' tackle on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, which saw the Tottenham player sent-off during their Premier League showdown.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has claimed it's hard to argue against Xavi Simons receiving a red card for his challenge on Virgil van Dijk. However, the Sky Sports pundit believes there was a different challenge that should have seen another Tottenham player sent-off this weekend.

Analysing Simons' tackle on Liverpool's captain, van Dijk, Carragher told Monday Night Football: "When I saw it at normal speed I didn't think it was a red card, but then you slow it down and it looks horrific, but I think everything does slowed down.

"But I've got a little bit of sympathy for Simons. And the reason I say this, and we are going to slow it down a lot now, and maybe that makes the tackle look a lot worse, but when I've been a player, the only thing I can think he's trying to do is, Virgil van Dijk's maybe going to go back to his goalkeeper, and you know sometimes when there's such a big difference in the size and power and you're trying to leave one on somebody, almost knock them off the ball.

"I just want to really look at his eyes - look at the way his arms are going. He's looking at the top of Virgil van Dijk; I actually think he's just clumsy and he doesn't realise where his feet are going.

"I think he thinks; 'I'm gonna leave one on him.' We've all done that and give him a bit of a whack, maybe knock him over and give a foul. And look at his arms the way they come up now, to almost give a shove to him.

"Now I know the tackle will look horrific because it's really slowed down, but his arms are there to go; 'I'm gonna give van Dijk a bit of a knock on the back'. And I almost think he's not even aware of where his foot is going, and he's just caught him on the back.

"When you see it there, it looks horrific and you can't almost say it's not a red card when you look at it like that - but I'm trying to put myself in his head and think what he was thinking and that thing of like, we've all done it as players where you think; 'I'll just give someone a shoulder barge'.

"But because of the difference in size is so big, he's almost overdone it and he's just got clumsy where his foot has gone. But when you look at that as a still [image], it looks horrific."

When asked if VAR should have stuck with the referee's original call of a yellow card, Carragher added: "Listen, I can't say it's not a red card, but if you're asking me would I rather that be a red card or [Rodrigo] Bentancur's challenge on [Milos] Kerkez, it would be Bentancur's challenge on Kerkez in the second-half every day of the week."

Although Arne Slot will be happy with three points away from home, the Dutchman won't be impressed with injury concerns surrounding Alexander Isak. The £125m signing was unable to celebrate after scoring following a rough challenge by Micky van de Ven. The Spurs defender was not shown a card for his tackle, which forced Isak off the pitch, but ex-pro Jay Bothroyd believes there should have been harsher punishment.

He explained on Sky Sports show Ref Watch: "Van de Ven has not intentionally tried to hurt Isak. Obviously, he's desperate to stop a goal and he's coming across to stop the shot.

"This is an example where, yes, Isak has scored, but this should still be a red card. He's lunging, he's going into him. Every explanation you want to give for a red-card challenge is there. Because he's scored, they've let it go.

"He's lunged, he's out of control. He's trying to make a block, but he's never going to get there. If that happened in the middle of the park, that's a red card."

Gary Lineker's fury after Tottenham vs Liverpool red card - 'It's absolutely nothing'

Xavi Simons was shown a red card for a late challenge on Virgil van Dijk during Tottenham's 2-1 Premier League defeat against Liverpool on Saturday but Lineker disagrees with the call

Gary Lineker believes Tottenham midfielder Xavi Simons shouldn't have received a red card during Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Spurs on Saturday. The Netherlands international was dismissed in the 33rd minute after a contentious tackle on Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk had played the ball back to Alisson Becker when Simons seemed to make contact with the Liverpool skipper's Achilles. Referee John Brooks initially brandished a yellow card, but VAR prompted him to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

Brooks then decided to upgrade the caution to a dismissal, leaving Tottenham with ten players. Spurs boss Thomas Frank was incensed by the verdict in his post-match interview, declaring the "game is gone", whilst Arne Slot felt Simons hadn't deliberately tried to harm Van Dijk.

The former Everton and Tottenham striker has now weighed in with his thoughts on the sending-off. "I'm going to have a little but of a rant myself here," he said on the Rest Is Football podcast.

"I know in slow motion you can pick it apart, his [Xavi Simons] studs may have caught the back of his [Virgil van Dijk] calf, but the fella is just trying to put his foot on the ground I mean there's absolutely zero intent.

"I mean yes, Virg might have got hurt, that happens in football, it happens all the time, doesn't mean to say it's a vicious foul. I just can't stand red cards for things like that, it was nothing. It's another one of those that looks in slow motion, you go 'ooh, blimey, he's raked down the back of his calf'.

"In normal speed it wasn't that, it's not like that at all. It's not like that at all. And I know they all thought it was a red card and you two may think it's a red card, and I understand now that when they look at things, they might go and break it down so slowly, but when you see it in normal speed, it's just his foot landing, he flicks him.

"It's nothing, it's absolutely nothing." Alan Shearer added: "It's totally accidental, totally accidental, yeah."

Lineker went on: "Yellow card would've sufficed." Meanwhile, Simons issued an apology following the match. He posted on social media: "Mistakes happen. Virg is my captain, I would never intentionally hurt him or anyone.

"To my Spurs teammates, my manager and the fans, I take responsibility. I'm really sorry."

Van Dijk then offered his own assessment, saying: "I don't think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and then the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off.

"I spoke to him. It's a chat that no-one needs to know."

The Swedish international suffered a suspected broken leg in Liverpool's 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday

Liverpool fear record signing Alexander Isak is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a suspected broken leg in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur. The 26-year-old was injured as he scored the game’s opening goal, landing awkwardly after a late sliding challenge from Spurs defender Micky van de Ven.

The tackle left the Swede clutching his leg in pain and unable to celebrate with his team-mates. He was treated by medical staff before hobbling off to be replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, who himself was later substituted after being caught by a stray arm from Richarlison.

Reports suggest an MRI scan will confirm Liverpool’s worst fears that their £125m summer signing has broken his leg. Speaking immediately after the game, Refs boss Arne Slot said: “It’s difficult to know what he exactly has. But it’s never a nice thing that after the goal he collided with their defender. Hopefully he’s fine, but we have to wait and see.”

The injury is a crushing blow for Liverpool, leaving the club with just Hugo Ekitike as a fit, recognised striker with, Cody Gakpo out until the New Year and Mohamed Salah away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Isak has endured a difficult start to life at Anfield with just three goals across 16 appearances in all competitions but appeared to be finally finding form after rifling a composed finish past Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The British transfer fee record-holder will lean on experience gained at Tyneside, where a string of injuries also threatened to derail life at a new club.

After joining Newcastle from La Liga outfit Real Sociedad, Isak managed just three appearances before picking up a thigh injury while on international duty. The forward would go on to score 54 Premier League goals for the Magpies in just three seasons, but later said Newcastle’s patient response to his knock was crucial in allowing him to return firing on all cylinders.

In an interview with Swedish media outfit Fotbollskanalen, Isak said: “I got a thigh injury. The first six months at the club were tough and it took some time to come back from the injury, but it was still okay because I still got to play three games and show a bit.

“Then the team did so well that it took the pressure off me and I could focus on my rehab instead of thinking the team needed me. It helped a bit, but it’s clear it wasn’t easy.”

The Swedish international missed four matches at the end of October and start of November with a groin injury and could now face up to six months out of action if scans confirm that he has broken his leg.

The onus is now on his team-mates to keep the good results coming and ease the intense spotlight Isak was already under as a result of his price tag. Otherwise the frustrations surrounding his tricky start to life on Merseyside will only grow bigger.

Arne Slot saw his Liverpool side stretch their unbeaten run to six games after the Reds beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday in a fiery encounter

Liverpool continued their climb up the Premier League table with three points against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening. The 2-1 victory was forged by Liverpool's summer signings, with Alexander Isak giving the Reds the lead in the second half after a weighted ball was slid through to him by an impressive Florian Wirtz.

Fellow new recruit Jeremie Frimpong sent in a deflected cross in the second half that Hugo Ekitike met with a looping header to make it 2-0. Former Everton star Richarlison halved the deficit for Spurs late on, but Liverpool hung on for their ninth win of the season.

However, while the Reds can celebrate six games unbeaten after a dreadful run of form derailed their Premier League title challenge, the evening was marred by an injury to Isak. The game was also punctuated by a series of controversies, including two red cards for Spurs.

Isak fell awkwardly after his shot to put Arne Slot's side ahead in the tie, and limped off after receiving treatment on the pitch. Mirror Football now takes a look at the latest news from Anfield, with events at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under the microscope.

Ekitike issued challenge

French star Ekitike has been told he will need to step up in the upcoming weeks following the injury sustained by Isak in the Premier League win over Tottenham.

The 23-year-old scored his 11th goal in all competitions for Liverpool with his second-half header against Thomas Frank's side. The former Eintracht Frankfurt looks well placed to spearhead Liverpool's attack after scoring five goals in his last three Premier League matches.

Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day after the game, ex-Newcastle keeper Shay Given conceded that losing Isak for any amount of time would be a cruel blow for Liverpool, especially with Mo Salah currently on duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

"It’s a big loss if Isak has gone off injured again," Given said. "He’s had a stop-start campaign so far. But, Ekitike looks the real deal, doesn’t he?

"A brilliant striker, and he’ll have to step up. Obviously, Mo Salah has left as well to go to the Africa Cup of Nations. Ekitike will have to stay fit as well because it’s a big loss if Isak is out for a number of weeks now as well."

Liverpool now have a nervous wait to establish the severity of Isak's injury, with the club fearing that the Sweden international has suffered a 'significant' problem ahead of an MRI scan on Monday.

While the duration of the striker's potential absence remains uncertain, Slot did provide a brief update after the match, acknowledging it's never a positive sign when a player cannot carry on, particularly after finding the back of the net.

He said: "We'll have to wait and see. But if a player scores and then gets injured and doesn't try to come back on the pitch, that's usually not a good thing."

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Ex-Premier League star slams Tottenham behaviour

Spurs' lack of discipline has been slammed by ex-Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Tottenham finished the Liverpool clash with just nine men.

Xavi Simons was given a red card in the first half, following a VAR review, for a challenge on his compatriot Virgil van Dijk. Christian Romero was also given his marching orders after receiving a second yellow card later on in the tie.

Richarlison also appeared to grip Ekitike around the neck after scoring and later squared up to Dominik Szoboszlai. A collision between the Brazilian and Frimpong also saw the Dutch wing-back leave the pitch with a bloodied lip.

Rodrigo Bentancur also left a heavy challenge on Milos Kerkez. Hart believes Spurs' loss of control ultimately allowed Liverpool to see out the tie, despite Frank's side finding their way back into the game late on through Richarlison's goal.

Speaking on Match of the Day, the former England goalkeeper said: “They just totally lost control, and for me this is the worst, I really don’t like this.” He added: “Bentancur’s absolutely cheap shot on Kerkez, he’s hit him really hard there, fellow professional, no need for that.”

Ekitike later had his say on the ugly affair. He said: “It was very physical today. There were a lot of duels, but sometimes, it was bad. That wasn’t football.”

Liverpool are worried Alexander Isak suffered a 'significant' injury during their Premier League win at Tottenham on Saturday. Isak picked up the problem when scoring the Reds' opener in North London and the reigning Premier League champions now face an anxious wait over their record signing.

Isak wasn't the only Liverpool player to suffer an injury scare at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong were also withdrawn with issues of their own, but there is a serious concern when it comes to their £125m striker.

According to The Athletic, Liverpool are worried about a significant leg injury to their star man but won't be sure until Isak undergoes an MRI scan. If the injury is as bad as feared, it could prove a problem for both club and country.

Isak, 26, has had a stop-start career at Anfield since joining from Newcastle. The goal against Spurs was just a second in the Premier League this season for a player who arrived without a proper pre-season behind him and missed games through a different injury in the autumn.

The Swedish international could also be an injury concern for his national side's World Cup play-offs in March. Graham Potter's side will play Ukraine in their semi-final, with the winner of that match playing either Poland or Albania for a place in next summer's finals.

“I don’t have any news on him. But if a player scores and then gets injured, and doesn’t come back on the pitch, doesn’t try to come back - which is what Conor Bradley tried to do for example but I had to take him off as well because he couldn’t go on," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after the win at Spurs.

“But if a player doesn’t even try to come back, that is usually not a good thing. But I cannot say anything more than that, it is just a gut feeling. Nothing medical to say about it. I haven’t spoken to him about it yet."

Liverpool were already without a number of first-team stars before their trip to the capital. Mohamed Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while defender Joe Gomez was forced off injured in the previous match against Brighton.

Slot's team don't play again until September 27, when bottom-of-the-table Wolves come to Anfield, They will then take on Leeds, Fulham and Arsenal in the league before beginning their FA Cup campaign against Barnsley.

Isak's injury didn't stop Liverpool claiming all three points against nine-man Spurs. Hugo Ekitike scored the Reds' second before Richarlison pulled one back for the hosts, who saw Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off.

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Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk was fouled by countryman Xavi Simons and the Tottenham star was sent off for his challenge in defeat to the Premier League champions

Virgil van Dijk does not believe Tottenham star Xavi Simons set out to hurt him, but would not reveal the contents of his conversation with his international team-mate. The Dutch midfielder was sent off after catching the Liverpool ace on his Achilles.

VAR intervened after Simons was initially awarded a yellow card with the score still goalless. The Reds claimed a 2-1 victory in north London as Cristian Romero also got handed his marching orders as Thomas Frank's side chased the game.

Referee John Brooks was advised by Stockley Park officials to reassess the incident and upgraded the punishment to a straight red card as a result. A statement from the Premier League Match Centre said: "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'."

Liverpool veteran Van Dijk admitted he was hurt by the challenge. The defender sounded confident that there was no malice in the foul.

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"I don't think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and then the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off," Van Dijk added. "Yeah I spoke to him [after the game]. It's a chat that no-one needs to know."

Simons said the challenge was simply a mistake and apologised to his countryman and Spurs' fans.

"Mistakes happen," he said on social media. "Virg is my captain. I would never intentionally hurt him or anyone. To my Spurs teammates, my manager and the fans, I take responsibility, I'm really sorry."

Spurs boss Frank, was incredulous that his player had been so harshly judged over an accident. "I've seen them given but I don't like this as a red card," he said.

"It's not reckless and it's not exceptional force. He's chasing Van Dijk and changes direction and unfortunately his foot is on his Achilles.

"We're not allowed to have physical contact anymore and he gets three games. That is absolutely wrong and we probably can't appeal that."

Alexander Isak was forced off with an injury in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Tottenham, with the club now facing an anxious wait to determine the extent of the Swede's problem

Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike has been urged to step up his game in the coming weeks, following an injury to Alexander Isak during Saturday evening's Premier League victory over Tottenham.

Arne Slot's team clinched a narrow 2-1 win against the north London side, with Isak scoring the opening goal early in the second half. This came after the home team was reduced to ten men in the first half when attacking midfielder Xavi Simons was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Virgil van Dijk, following VAR intervention.

Despite netting for Liverpool, Isak couldn't celebrate his second Premier League goal for the Reds. During the goal-scoring process, Spurs defender Micky van de Ven tackled him, causing Isak's ankle to become trapped between the Dutchman's legs. Initially, a stretcher was called, but Isak managed to limp off the pitch with assistance from Liverpool's medical team. The club now anxiously awaits the full extent of the injury, reports the Liverpool Echo.

However, fears of a potential ACL tear were allayed on Saturday night, with The Athletic reporting that the initial prognosis suggests a lower-leg injury, rather than a knee issue.

Ekitike netted Liverpool's second goal to extend the lead to 2-0, before Tottenham substitute Richarlison clawed one back in the closing stages.

The home side were reduced to nine men in stoppage time when Cristian Romero was dismissed for lashing out at Ibrahima Konate, but Slot's squad managed to hold on to their narrow advantage and claim all three points.

Appearing on BBC's Match of the Day following the match, pundit Shay Given acknowledged that losing Isak for any period would be a devastating setback for Liverpool.

However, he emphasised that Ekitike must now rise to the occasion during Isak's absence, particularly with Mohamed Salah also unavailable for the upcoming fixtures due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

"It's a big loss if Isak has gone off injured again," Given said. "He's had a stop-start campaign so far. But, Ekitike looks the real deal, doesn't he?"

"A brilliant striker and he'll have to step up. Obviously, Mo Salah has left as well go to the Africa Cup of Nations. "Ekitike will have to stay fit as well because it's a big loss if Isak is out for a number of weeks now as well."

Slot provided a brief update on Isak after the final whistle, conceding it rarely bodes well when a player cannot carry on, particularly after finding the net.

"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "But if a player scores and then gets injured and doesn't try to come back on the pitch, that's usually not a good thing."

Liverpool are set to return to the pitch on December 27, just two days after Christmas, hosting Wolves at Anfield in a Premier League face-off.

However, Slot faces some challenging selection decisions due to recent injuries. Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz all had to leave the pitch at different stages during the match due to injuries.

Xavi Simons earned himself a needless straight red card against Liverpool, but the Dutchman had a message for his Tottenham team-mates and supporters

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Xavi Simons has issued an apology after his straight red card against Liverpool. The Dutchman was sent for an early shower after he stood on the back of Virgil van Dijk's Achilles, catching him with his studs and even tearing the defender's sock.

It was missed by the official, but after a VAR consultation, Simons was given the red card. The score was 0-0 at the time and from that moment, things were made even harder for Thomas Frank's side.

Tottenham went on to lose 2-1, in a game where Cristian Romero also got sent off. Perfectly aware of the error he made, Simons issued an apology to everybody at Tottenham and to Van Dijk himself.

He took to social media and wrote: "Mistakes happen. Virg is my captain. I would never intentionally hurt him or anyone. To my Spurs teammates, my manager and the fans, I take responsibility, I'm really sorry."

Simons has struggled for consistency since his big money move from RB Leipzig. He contributed a goal and an assist in the recent 2-0 home victory over Bournemouth, leaving many believing he had found his feet.

But this is a setback for the Netherlands international, who will be suspended for the next three matches. However, if this is a consolation for Simons, Frank does not believe his challenge warranted a straight red card.

The Dane said: "I don’t like this (Xavi challenge) as a red card. I think the game is probably too big to say gone, but for me it’s not reckless and it’s not exceptional force.

"He is chasing Van Dijk. He is trying to put pressure and then he changes direction. Unfortunately his foot is on Achilles. You can say ‘ah, you need to be smarter, don’t do it and all that’ but so are we not allowed to have physical contact anymore?

"The next thing on that is if he gets three games, which I don’t understand, how can he get three games for something which is not reckless? That is absolutely wrong and we probably can’t appeal it."

Alexander Isak went on to open the scoring in the second half before Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool's lead. Richarlison did come off the bench to halve the deficit, but the Brazilian's work was undone by captain Cristian Romero receiving a second yellow card in the 93rd minute.

The result piles the pressure on Frank. Tottenham were left in 13th position as a result of that defeat, seven points off the top four. Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arne Slot was pleased with his side's performance in north London.

Admitting things were made harder by Simons' red card, Slot said: "I thought it would mean that it was a little bit easier, but in reality it wasn’t. I thought to be honest with nine, we will probably be able then to keep them away from our goal.

"But it looked as if we were down to nine and they were on 11 because it was attack after attack after attack, but it didn’t lead to a goal.”

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.