Alexander Isak endured a dramatic cameo as Liverpool claimed a hard-fought Premier League victory over Tottenham, scoring off the bench before being forced off injured in a tempestuous match in north London.
The Sweden forward opened the scoring shortly after the break, only to be injured in the same movement, while Hugo Ekitike added a second as the Reds capitalised on Spurs having two players sent off.
Richarlison pulled one back late on, but Liverpool held firm to seal the win and deepen Tottenham’s struggles under Thomas Frank.
The contest began cautiously before turning on a pivotal moment in the 33rd minute.
Tottenham midfielder Xavi Simons was dismissed following a VAR review after referee John Brooks deemed his challenge on Virgil van Dijk to be serious foul play, with the Dutchman’s studs raking down the Liverpool captain’s calf.
With Spurs reduced to 10 men, Liverpool sensed opportunity.
Arne Slot introduced Isak at half-time after Conor Bradley picked up a knock, and the move paid off within 11 minutes.
Florian Wirtz slipped a neat pass through to Isak, who calmly finished past Guglielmo Vicario for his first league goal for the club.
However, the striker was caught by Micky van de Ven as he shot and was unable to continue, leaving the pitch in clear discomfort.
Tottenham briefly threatened a response when Randal Kolo Muani saw a deflected effort crash against the crossbar, but Liverpool soon struck again.
Jeremie Frimpong’s cross took a nick and dropped perfectly for Ekitike, who powered a header home for his fifth goal in three league matches.
Spurs felt aggrieved that the goal stood, believing Ekitike had fouled Cristian Romero in the build-up, with the Argentine defender booked for his protests.
Frank then turned to Richarlison, and the Brazilian made an instant impact, poking the ball past Alisson after a scramble in the box to give the home side hope.
Despite being a man down, Tottenham pushed late on and unsettled Liverpool, but their task became even harder in stoppage time when Romero received a second yellow card for lashing out at Ibrahima Konate.
Down to nine men, Spurs could not find an equaliser as Liverpool clung on.
The victory lifts Liverpool to fifth in the table and extends their unbeaten run to six matches, while Tottenham have now managed just one win in eight league games.
With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo sidelined, Slot opted against starting both Isak and Ekitike together.
His hand was forced at the interval, and while the Isak-Wirtz combination delivered instantly, the striker’s injury casts a shadow over the result.
Ekitike’s continued scoring form offers encouragement, especially with Liverpool short of attacking options, but the Reds also lost Frimpong late on after he had only just returned from injury.
Liverpool move level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, yet may have paid a heavy price for the three points.
Leaving Richarlison on the bench raised eyebrows, and while his late goal changed the momentum, Spurs were ultimately undone by indiscipline and poor home form.
Simons’ red card proved costly, though Tottenham showed resilience even at 2-0 down.
Romero’s late dismissal, however, summed up a frustrating afternoon and will rule him out of the next match.
Tottenham have now won just two of their nine home league games this season, with only Wolves recording fewer home victories.
Their 11 home league defeats in the 2025 calendar year mark an unwanted club record, underlining the growing pressure on Frank and his squad.
