Liverpool win marred by Isak injury; Frank pressure builds

LONDON -- Alexander Isak scored and picked up an injury during a dramatic 14-minute cameo as Liverpool beat nine-man Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to climb up to fifth place in the Premier League.

The £125 million summer signing from Newcastle was introduced at halftime after a goalless opening 45 minutes in which Spurs midfielder Xavi Simons was sent off on VAR review for a late tackle on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. Spurs boss Thomas Frank was incensed by the decision -- which meant his team had to play for an hour with a man less -- and it fell behind when Isak converted in the 56th minute, finishing crisply past Guglielmo Vicario. However, Isak was tackled by center back Micky van de Ven as he got his shot away, suffering an injury that left him requiring help from two members of Liverpool coach Arne Slot's backroom staff to leave the field.

Hugo Ekitike headed in Jeremie Frimpong's 66th-minute deflected cross to double Liverpool's advantage, but Richarlison came off the bench to halve the deficit seven minutes from full time. That threatened to set up a grandstand finish as Spurs poured forward in search of an equalizer, but Spurs skipper Romero was sent off in stoppage time after picking up a second yellow card and Liverpool held firm. -- James Olley

Isak injury blow sums up Liverpool start

It was a moment that encapsulated Alexander Isak's Liverpool career. After putting the visitors ahead with the kind of composed finish that was par for the course during his time at Newcastle United, the Sweden international was immediately substituted after a heavy collision with Spurs defender Micky van de Ven in which he appeared to injure his knee.

It was a cruel end to an evening that could have ignited what has been a troubling campaign for the 26-year-old. His strike against Spurs was just his second in the Premier League since his acrimonious, £125 million move from Tyneside, with the forward having struggled for both form and fitness at Anfield.

Isak starting the game against Tottenham on the bench shows that Slot does not yet believe he is at the required level to be leading the champions' front line week in, week out. But his cameo -- which included a smart link-up with fellow summer signing Florian Wirtz -- offered promise that this could be a foundation on which some much-needed momentum could be built.

Now, though, Liverpool will face an anxious wait to discover the extent of his injury. With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo also on the sidelines, it is a problem Slot really does not need at present. -- Beth Lindop

Pressure builds on Thomas Frank

Any frustration toward Frank will be tempered by the fact that Spurs played for an hour with 10 men after Xavi Simons' dismissal. However, it should not mask that this was another game where Frank prioritized pragmatism over a more expansive approach, sacrificing a striker to bring in an extra midfielder as he tried to match Liverpool's numbers in the middle of the pitch.

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Michalik: Romero should be stripped of Spurs captaincy

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Spurs were already set up to play on the break, hence why Frank did not make a change after Simons' red card, and in truth they spent most of the time thereafter camped on the edge of their own box trying not to concede. There is nothing inherently wrong with that in the circumstances, of course, but it feeds into wider concerns some Tottenham fans have that Frank is not the right fit for a club that wants to be attack-minded and on the front foot.

It should be said, however, that his substitutions were not booed, as has been the case previously. Fans largely stayed with the team, focusing their hostility instead on referee John Brooks before Richarlison's goal gave Spurs renewed hope. Romero effectively extinguished it with his own ludicrous dismissal, and this is now one win in eight league games for Frank. A worrying gap is opening up between Spurs and the top four. -- Olley

Ekitike fast becoming Liverpool's main man

The celebration from Hugo Ekitike said it all. As the France international folded his arms across his chest and stared down the Tottenham supporters, he looked every inch like a player with the world at his feet. Certainly, it feels as if he is quickly becoming Liverpool's main man, with his second-half header against Tottenham marking his fifth goal in his past three Premier League appearances.

In total, the 23-year-old has 11 goals in all competitions since moving to Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer. Only Erling Haaland (18) has scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League this season.

Though there is still of course a long way for the forward to go if he is to become as prolific a marksman as the Manchester City striker, his start to life on Merseyside has been nothing short of outstanding, and he looks like he could be the key to Liverpool turning their turbulent season around. -- Lindop

- Report: Isak and Ekitike lead Liverpool past nine-man Tottenham
- O'Hanlon: Premier League Future Power Rankings, projections for all 20 teams
- Sources: Thomas Frank not at immediate risk of Tottenham sack

Tottenham have a year to forget at home

This was Tottenham's final home game of 2025 and it has been a year to forget. Out of 18 league games, Spurs won just four times. The mitigation for this comes in the form of former manager Ange Postecoglou's decision to prioritize the Europa League over everything else in the second half of last season. It was a decision that proved fruitful in delivering the trophy Spurs craved after a 17-year wait, yet still not enough to save his job.

This was an obvious area of improvement for Postecoglou's successor, but Frank has not been able to deliver in this regard. They have beaten only Burnley and Brentford here in the league under the Dane. Spurs spent more than £1 billion on a stunning home stadium, leaving the old White Hart Lane behind -- dubbed "Three Point Lane" by some gleeful rival fans used to routinely winning there. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is in danger of going the same way at the moment. -- Olley

Liverpool win but still have things to prove

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Michallik: Liverpool lacking 'engine' after dramatic Spurs win

Janusz Michallik reacts to Liverpool's 2-1 win vs. nine-man Tottenham in the Premier League.

Liverpool are back ... or are they? It is impossible to give a definitive answer after their chaotic victory in the capital. Up 2-0, Slot's side was cruising and should have made the most of its man advantage to see out the game. Instead, a combination of rash decision-making and calamitous defending made for a fraught ending to this contest, and Slot will know his team got away with one against Frank's men.

Already this season, the Reds have surrendered a 2-0 lead on four occasions in all competitions. They came mightily close to extending that rotten record Saturday but managed to cling on to claim a victory that moves them level on points with fourth-place Chelsea. With home games against strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United up next, they have a chance to start inching up the table, but their latest display showed there is still plenty of room for improvement. -- Lindop