Isak scores on Liverpool debut but injury mars chaotic win at nine-man Tottenham

Alexander Isak marked his Liverpool debut with a goal off the bench, but the forward was forced off injured as the Reds edged a dramatic 2-1 Premier League victory over nine-man Tottenham Hotspur, Sport360NG reports.

Isak broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, finishing calmly after being teed up by Florian Wirtz, but the Sweden international was injured in the same move after a heavy challenge from Micky van de Ven. Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s advantage 10 minutes later, before Richarlison set up a tense finale with a late strike for Spurs.

The result deepened the misery for Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank, whose side had Xavi Simons and captain Cristian Romero sent off and have now managed just one win in their last eight league outings.

The match had been finely balanced until the 33rd minute, when Simons was dismissed following a VAR review. Referee John Brooks upgraded his initial yellow card to red after judging the Dutch midfielder’s challenge on Virgil van Dijk to be serious foul play, with the Spurs player raking his studs down the Liverpool captain’s calf.

Liverpool capitalised after the break. Arne Slot introduced Isak at half-time following a knock to Conor Bradley, and the club-record signing made an immediate impact. Wirtz supplied the pass for Isak to slot past Guglielmo Vicario, though the striker was left in visible pain and unable to celebrate, eventually being replaced by Jeremie Frimpong just 15 minutes later.

Tottenham almost levelled when Randal Kolo Muani’s deflected effort struck the crossbar, but Liverpool extended their lead in the 66th minute. Frimpong’s deflected delivery found Ekitike, who headed in his fifth goal in three league games.

Spurs were incensed that the goal stood, believing Ekitike had fouled Romero in the build-up, with the defender booked for his protests.

Frank’s decision to introduce Richarlison paid dividends in the closing stages. The Brazilian reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute, finishing from close range after Liverpool failed to clear their lines, and Spurs pushed hard for an equaliser despite their numerical disadvantage.

However, any hopes of a late comeback were ended in stoppage time when Romero was shown a second yellow card for lashing out at Ibrahima Konate following a free-kick.

Liverpool held on to secure a victory that lifts them to fifth in the table, extending their unbeaten run to six matches after a difficult spell earlier in the season.

There was, however, a cost to the win. With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo sidelined through injury, Slot had been cautious with his attacking options. While Ekitike again underlined his importance with his ninth league goal of the campaign, Liverpool will now await updates on the fitness of Isak and Bradley. Frimpong, who had only just returned from injury, was also forced off late on, though Slot later played down concerns over the wing-back.

For Tottenham, the defeat compounded an increasingly grim home record. Despite showing resilience after going two goals down and creating late pressure with 10 men, Spurs were undermined by indiscipline. Simons will serve a three-match suspension, while Romero’s dismissal means he will miss the trip to Crystal Palace.

Tottenham have now won just two of their nine league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, with only Wolves recording fewer home victories, and the 11 league defeats they have suffered there in 2025 is the worst calendar-year return in the club’s history.