Alexander Isak endured a mixed night as the Liverpool forward scored but was forced off injured during a dramatic 2–1 victory over nine-man Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Isak opened the scoring in the second half in north London after Tottenham were reduced to 10 men before the break. Xavi Simons was sent off in the 33rd minute following a VAR review for a dangerous challenge on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
The goal was only Isak’s third in 16 appearances across all competitions since completing a British-record £125 million move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day.
However, the 26-year-old was unable to fully celebrate the moment as he later limped off after sustaining an injury in a challenge involving Micky van de Ven.
Liverpool strengthened their grip on the contest when Hugo Ekitike netted his fifth goal in four games, before Richarlison pulled one back late on to set up a tense finale.
Tottenham’s troubles deepened in stoppage time when Cristian Romero was sent off for a second booking, leaving the hosts with nine men.
The win lifted Arne Slot’s side to fifth place in the Premier League and extended their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions, further distancing them from a recent slump that saw nine defeats in 12 games.
Despite the positive result, Isak’s injury is a major concern for Liverpool, coming just days after Mohamed Salah departed to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot admitted he will be anxiously monitoring the striker’s fitness over the Christmas period.
Tottenham’s struggles continued as they slipped to 13th in the table, having won just one of their last eight league matches.
Pressure is mounting on manager Thomas Frank, whose first season in charge has been marked by inconsistent results following Ange Postecoglou’s departure last summer.
