Reds Hold Firm As Nine Man Spurs Push Liverpool To The Limit
Liverpool survived a chaotic finish in North London to claim a hard fought 2-1 win over Tottenham, despite enjoying a numerical advantage for most of the match and being forced to dig deep late on.
Liverpool were made to work far harder than expected as they edged Tottenham 2-1 away, clinging on in a dramatic contest that saw the hosts finish the game with nine men.
The turning point came in the first half when Xavi Simons was sent off following a VAR review for a dangerous challenge on Virgil van Dijk. With Spurs reduced to ten men before the break, the Premier League champions looked well placed to take full control of the game.
However, Tottenham showed resilience and discipline to hold Liverpool at bay until the 56th minute. Arne Slot made a bold move at half time by introducing Alexander Isak, and the change paid immediate dividends. Florian Wirtz slipped a neat pass through the Spurs defence, allowing Isak to fire a first time finish past Guglielmo Vicario to break the deadlock.
The Swedish striker’s impact was short lived, though, as he was forced off injured soon after scoring. Liverpool continued to press and doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Hugo Ekitike rose highest to head home from a deflected Jeremie Frimpong cross, marking his fifth goal in three league games.
At that stage, the contest appeared settled, but Tottenham refused to fold. Thomas Frank introduced fresh legs in search of a response, and the gamble paid off in the 83rd minute. A loose ball in the box fell kindly to Richarlison, who made no mistake in drilling the ball into the net to set up a tense finale.
The closing stages descended into chaos. Yellow cards flew freely as tempers flared, and Spurs captain Cristian Romero was sent off after receiving a second booking, leaving the hosts with just nine players. Despite their disadvantage, Tottenham came close to an unlikely equaliser, forcing Liverpool into desperate defending and relying on Alisson to see them through.
In a surprising twist, Tottenham finished with a higher expected goals tally than Liverpool, underlining how uncomfortable the Reds were despite dominating possession for long spells. Still, Liverpool held on to secure their third consecutive league win and move up to fifth in the table.
For Tottenham, the defeat leaves them 13th and piles further pressure on Frank ahead of a demanding run of fixtures. Their struggles were compounded by the absence of several players away at the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament that is already stretching squads across the league.
Liverpool, also affected by AFCON with Mohamed Salah now away on international duty, will take confidence from grinding out a result even when control slipped from their grasp. With Wolves up next, the Reds will hope this resilience becomes a foundation for renewed momentum in the weeks ahead.
