Premier League

Callum Wilson's stoppage-time goal earned West Ham United a dramatic 2-1 derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The substitute, who has been linked with an exit from the London Stadium this January window, struck three minutes into added time to end the Hammers' 10-match winless streak in the Premier League.

It had looked like the spoils would be shared at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a Cristian Romero header cancelled out Crysencio Summerville's deflected first-half goal.

But Wilson prodded home from a goalmouth scramble after a corner to add to the woes of boss Thomas Frank, as Spurs were booed off.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side remain 18th but move to four points off Nottingham Forest in 17th, while Spurs stay 14th and are still without a win in 2026.

How the match unfolded

The Hammers opened the scoring after 15 minutes as Summerville skipped inside a couple of challenges and saw his shot deflect in off Micky van de Ven.

Spurs then lost Ben Davies to injury, but they went close to equalising, with Alphonse Areola denying both Wilson Odobert and substitute Djed Spence from close range.

However, a second West Ham goal looked more likely as the first half wore on. Valentin Castellanos headed wide from two yards out and Jarrod Bowen was denied by the offside flag, while Konstantinos Mavrapanos' looping header was clawed away by Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs were vastly improved after half-time. Yves Bissouma’s curling 20-yard strike produced a smart reflex save from Areola, before the equaliser arrived in the 64th minute as Romero buried a header from Pedro Porro’s cross.

The game then became end-to-end as Areola pushed away Xavi Simons' volley, while Porro thwarted Wilson.

However, the latter reacted quickest after the 90 minutes were up, poking a loose ball into the roof of the net from a corner to clinch three crucial points.

Pressure cranks up further on Frank

Spurs' winless start to 2026 continues following a dramatic defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the pressure continues to mount on beleaguered boss Frank.

His side have now won just one of their last seven Premier League matches, though they started brightly here, with Mathys Tel volleying over after just four minutes.

Yet, after Castellanos fired narrowly wide and fellow new West Ham signing Pablo saw a goal chalked off for a clear foul in the build-up, Spurs failed to heed those early warnings, finding themselves behind to Summerville's deflected strike.

The hosts were then forced into an early change when Davies was carried off on a stretcher, but they carried a lot more purpose after the break and were deserving of their equaliser through Romero.

At that stage, Spurs looked the more likely to claim only a third home league win of the season, but they were made to pay for not fully capitalising on their pressure, and the displeasure among the home fans was evident when the final whistle blew.

Attention turns to the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, when Spurs host Borussia Dortmund and will try to give their supporters something to cheer about. They then visit Burnley in the Premier League next weekend.

Wilson ends winless streak in dramatic fashion

West Ham's long wait for a Premier League win is finally over, courtesy of a player who may not be at the club by the time the January transfer window closes.

The Hammers did end their winless streak in all competitions with a victory over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup last weekend, and they made a positive start here, going close even before a bit of luck helped them take the lead through a resurgent Summerville.

Nuno's side had the ball in the net on a further two occasions in the first half, with Pablo denied after Van de Ven was fouled, while Bowen was also thwarted by the offside flag.

Castellanos also spurned a glorious opportunity from two yards out, and it looked like that might prove costly when Romero equalised.

Yet, after holding off Spurs' wave of pressure, the visitors delivered a hammer blow to their rivals. Moments after he was brilliantly denied by Porro's sliding intervention, Wilson was alert to turn the ball home from a yard out and send the visiting fans wild.

West Ham will hope that is the goal that revives their difficult campaign, as they prepare to face Sunderland at London Stadium next Saturday.

Club reports

Spurs report | West Ham report

What the managers said

Thomas Frank: "It's tough to take, it hurts a lot. The boys put everything in, and that's a sign of a squad that is fighting, doing everything they can to try and win. It's fair to say if there was to be a winner in the second half then it should have been us.

"The way we came back into it, the same as at Bournemouth, both games we lost in the last minute. That makes it emotionally tough for the players, me, the club, the fans, everyone. We conceded on a deflected shot and a last-minute corner, which we should have done better with.

"We pushed very hard, to have that extra freshness to put on the pitch would have helped with more quality.

"It's tough times, the only thing we can do is move forward. We have to go again, it's hurting so much, incredibly so for everyone at the club that puts in such hard work.

"But we can only be disappointed and emotionally down for 24 hours, then we must go again on Tuesday."

Nuno Espirito Santo: "It means a lot for our fans, who were there cheering for us. It's special to do it in the last moments of the game, because we have been on the other side of that many times this season.

"We stared really well. The way we were organised, not allowing Spurs to go easy, always trying to press and recover.

"When we had the ball we had good chances and combinations. First half we played really good football.

"We believe [we can escape relegation]. We have to worry about ourselves, work harder and commit more. I'm really proud of the way the players have been dealing with this situation. It's a tough one, but they are determined to turn it around.

PL form and fixtures

Key facts

Spurs have now lost 50 games in all competitions at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with their first also coming against West Ham. They’ve played 176 games at the ground, with their last 50 defeats at White Hart Lane coming over a 295-game spell between 2006 and 2017.

West Ham have now conceded in each of their last 19 Premier League games, since a 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest in August. It’s their longest run without a clean sheet within a single season in the competition.

Wilson’s goal was just West Ham’s second winner in the 90th minute or later in an away London derby in the Premier League, after Paolo Di Canio’s strike at Fulham in October 2002.

No team have scored more headed goals than Spurs in the Premier League this season (nine, level with Arsenal before their game at Nottingham Forest).

Ryan Benson of Opta Analyst assesses Tottenham Hotspur's new signing Conor Gallagher, following the England international's arrival from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window.

After roughly 18 months in LaLiga with Atletico Madrid, Conor Gallagher is returning to London and the Premier League. But having come through the academy at Chelsea and appeared prominently in the Blues’ senior side, he has now signed for Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s another big move for the England international after broadening his horizons with a decent spell in Spain.

And perhaps crucially for him, Gallagher’s return to the Premier League comes with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon. After only earning a single England cap in 2025, he might argue that playing well in the Premier League gives him a greater opportunity.

Spurs were reportedly not the only Premier League club who tried to sign Gallagher, with Aston Villa rumoured to have been making a move for him - highlighting how the midfielder's stock at home in England has remained high.

Gallagher undoubtedly improves the general depth in Spurs’ midfield, offering an alternative to Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur in front of the back four.

Both Bentancur and Palhinha are highly competent defensively, but Opta's data suggests Spurs struggle to effectively build attacks through them.

Spurs’ total of 519 passes breaking the opposition’s midfield line is only enough to rank them 13th in the Premier League this season. For passes breaking the opposition’s defensive line (87), they are joint 13th.

Those figures may not sound alarming, but you also have to consider that Spurs’ average possession share (50.8 per cent) isn’t among the lowest, meaning their rankings for those metrics are boosted by how much time they spend on the ball.

So, when you look at their total line-breaking passes as a proportion of their overall passes, their rate of 10.3 per cent is the fifth-lowest, suggesting they play safe to a greater degree than most teams.

Spurs’ lack of incisiveness can also be seen in their frequency of through-balls – defined as a pass intended on putting a player through on goal and leading to a goalscoring opportunity by splitting the last line of defence

Their 11 through-balls attempted and four completed are both the fewest in the Premier League this term, hinting that the marriage of passing ability and invention is at a premium with the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison out injured. For context, Arsenal have recorded the most this season, with 75 (24 completed).

It wouldn’t be fair to pin all of this on Bentancur and Palhinha, both of whom are effective in their own ways.

Gallagher is tidy enough on the ball, his pass-completion rate ranging between 84.6 per cent and 91.5 per cent across the last three and a half seasons of top-flight football – though that doesn’t really tell us a huge amount about the significance of those passes.

More detailed data doesn’t provide a great deal of evidence that Gallagher will bring more incision with passes from the centre of the pitch.

Across his three most recent seasons in the Premier League, Gallagher’s progressive passes per 90 minutes increased from 1.3 – the seventh-fewest among midfielders to play 500+ minutes – to 3.0 and then dropped to 2.4. While the latter two figures – recorded while playing for Chelsea – suggest more forward thinking, he still only ranked 28th and then 44th among his positional peers.

Similarly, he’s never been a prolific passer through the lines, and through-balls aren’t something he’s ever frequently provided. In fact, he attempted just three over a full LaLiga season in 2024/25.

None of this will likely surprise anyone who’s seen Gallagher play at least semi-regularly, though, and therefore it seems clear he’s not been brought in to perform such functions. He’s never been a playmaker who dictates, rather a box-to-box workhorse or wide No 8, so surely there’ll be no expectation from Spurs boss Thomas Frank for him to be a superstar No 6.

Arguably the quality Gallagher is most known for is his work-rate out of possession, the industry he offers in midfield. The fact Diego Simeone wanted to sign him for Atletico in the first place should be seen as an indicator of this and a seal of approval, even if his role has been reduced to frequent substitute this season.

In the 2023/24 Premier League season, Gallagher averaged 44.0 high-intensity pressures per 90 minutes. At face value, it’s a figure that doesn’t look that impressive, given 28 nominal central midfielders (1,000+ minutes) recorded more, but Gallagher was playing for a team who had 59.0 per cent possession over the season.

Among the 28 midfielders above him in the rankings, only five played for teams who’d had more than 50 per cent of the ball. That’s relevant because, generally, players for teams who have less possession make more pressures.

A similar logic can be applied to possession regains. Gallagher’s 6.3 per 90 that season was a decent return in its own right, while only eight midfielders playing for teams with 50+ per cent possession won the ball back more often.

He continued to be impactful out of possession for Atletico, too, ranking in the 78th and 85th percentiles respectively for tackles (2.4) and possession won (5.6) per 90 by midfielders in LaLiga since the start of last season. In that time, Atletico averaged 52.5 per cent possession.

Gallagher’s athleticism hasn’t only manifested itself in impressive defensive output, though.

It’s worth looking back on what was probably his most impressive season in senior football, the 2021/22 campaign, when he was on loan at Crystal Palace.

Gallagher thrived in a box-to-box role, offering Palace plenty of off-ball presence but also influence going forward – perhaps not as a reliable creator, but runs, with and without the ball, into the opposition’s box were a common theme.

Only six nominal central/defensive midfielders bettered his nine shot-ending carries, while he ranked join-ninth among the same players for carries ending in a shot or chance created (17). Similarly, Gallagher’s 10 carries into the opposition’s box was enough to rank joint seventh, and three of those above him played for a Manchester City side who tended to dominate possession.

This part of his game heavily influenced Gallagher’s impressive haul of eight Premier League goals in 2021/22, and his high non-penalty expected goals (xG) of 6.4 (seventh highest among nominal midfielders) reflects the fact most of them came from high-value positions.

Even if you discount the solitary goal from outside the box (a glorious strike into the top-right corner against Everton) and the one deflected effort against Fulham, six would still be a very respectable total.

His manager when he was at Palace, Patrick Vieira, suggested Gallagher potentially had the “quality finishing of a Frank Lampard”, the Chelsea legend, and on-field “passion” of Ray Parlour, Vieira’s former Arsenal team-mate.

However, since that 2021/22 season, Gallagher has only scored 13 goals in 123 league appearances for Chelsea and Atletico. Granted, that tally will have been partly impacted by not always being a guaranteed starter, but that knack of being a goal threat is presumably something Frank will hope to rediscover the magic formula for.

But he’ll also be confident Gallagher can make Spurs a better team off the ball in the final third, too. After all, Spurs have been one of the Premier League’s least effective teams when it comes to pressing high up the pitch in 2025/26.

Their 122 high turnovers is only better than Burnley (116) and Fulham (88) even though Spurs do actively press high; their 11.2 PPDA – opposition passes per defensive action, which measures the intensity of a team's press – is the sixth-lowest of all Premier League clubs, suggesting they are relatively quick to begin hunting the ball after losing it.

Their comparatively low number of high turnovers supports the idea Spurs press can be played through, however.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Frank specifically wants to address this, given his Brentford side ranked in the top six for high turnovers in two of his four seasons in charge of them in the top flight. Gallagher would be no stranger to such an approach.

While at Palace, for instance, the Eagles ranked eighth for high turnovers and Gallagher’s 19 possession regains in the final third put him just outside the top 10 among all midfielders. The Chelsea teams he featured in also tended to press high.

Frank clearly values pressing, Spurs just haven’t been very effective at it. With Dominic Solanke – arguably the best pressing forward in the Premier League – now back in action after a long-term injury and the tireless Gallagher potentially supporting him soon, a change could be on the horizon.

If Gallagher is ultimately part of a bigger plan to improve the midfield and is to be accompanied by a couple of other January arrivals – rather than being Spurs’ only introduction – then there’s plenty to like here. He’s impressed in the Premier League before, and he’ll bring leadership, a strong personality, work ethic and potentially goals.

Antoine Semenyo secured three points for AFC Bournemouth in style as his 95th-minute long-range strike gave the Cherries a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

The Bournemouth forward, who is strongly linked with a move to Manchester City this month, lashed the ball through a crowd of bodies in the Spurs box to seal all three points.

His head coach Andoni Iraola admitted after the match that it "looks like it will be his last moments with us".

Mathys Tel’s early opener for Spurs was cancelled out by Evanilson in the 22nd minute, before Junior Kroupi put the Cherries ahead before half-time.

Joao Palhinha then equalised for the visitors in the second half with an acrobatic bicycle kick, before Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic denied Micky van de Ven a potential winner with a brilliant save, crucially keeping the score at 2-2 before Semenyo’s decisive strike.

Bournemouth's victory, which ends their 11-game winless run, moves Iraola’s side just one point behind Spurs in 15th.

How the match unfolded

Tel needed just five minutes to open the scoring for Spurs as he cut inside from the left before firing a shot between the legs of Alex Jimenez and into the bottom-right corner.

Spurs remained on the front foot, with Cristian Romero going close to adding a second. But Bournemouth equalised through a moment of quality when Evanilson glanced Marcus Tavernier’s delivery beyond the reach of Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal.

The momentum stayed with the hosts, and their efforts were rewarded in the 36th minute when Kroupi was on hand to fire home from Marcos Senesi’s centre.

Spurs were awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute when Van de Ven went down after a collision with James Hill, but referee Darren England overturned his decision following a VAR review.

Palhinha caught the whole stadium off guard as his superb bicycle kick six minutes later landed in the far-left corner to level the scores, but Van de Ven was then denied by a diving Petrovic at full stretch.

And the Bournemouth goalkeeper was rewarded for his efforts, with Semenyo stepping up with a special, low strike from outside the box to snap their winless streak.

Watch: Semenyo's winning strike

The cherry on Semenyo’s birthday cake

It was initially a quiet game for Semenyo, on his birthday, though he saved the best moment for last.

David Brooks’ first pass took him wide of the goal, but the two combined again before the Ghana international scored a special goal.

And Brooks’ contribution highlighted the strength of Bournemouth’s attacking quality, leaving Iraola with fantastic options if Semenyo does leave.

Before assisting Evanilson’s equaliser, Tavernier, who moved back into the attack for this game, almost picked out the bottom-left corner with a shot from distance. And Kroupi got his name on the scoresheet again, as he did against Arsenal last time out, this time being in the right place at the right time to poach a goal.

Substitute Enes Unal also came close to scoring, shooting narrowly wide after Semenyo’s deflected cross landed kindly for him in the box.

Iraola’s side will now look to build a winning run when they face Brighton & Hove Albion in their next Premier League match, following a trip to Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Spurs show defensive fragility

It was a strong start by Spurs at the Vitality Stadium; Lucas Bergvall tested Petrovic from distance before Tel scored, while Romero saw his header from the Frenchman’s corner land on the roof of the net.

However, everything seemed to change once Evanilson restored parity, with Spurs appearing shaky at the back.

Rodrigo Bentancur was dispossessed on the edge of his own box before both Pedro Porro and Vicario got away with poor passes, which were not punished, before Bournemouth got their second through Kroupi.

Things got worse for Spurs head coach Thomas Frank when Bergvall, one of Spurs’ best players in the match, was forced off with an injury in the 57th minute. Along with Bergvall’s earlier effort at goal, the Swede also saw a shot from distance go narrowly over as he constantly looked to unsettle the Cherries backline.

There was some hope to hold on to for the visitors, with Xavi Simons providing a lovely backheel assist for Tel on his return from suspension, but that will provide little joy for the travelling fans.

Following their FA Cup tie against Aston Villa on Saturday, Spurs host London rivals West Ham United in their next Premier League match the following weekend.

Club reports

Bournemouth report | Spurs report

What the managers said

Andoni Iraola: "We needed this one, we have been very close in the last games. Football can not every time go to the other side and today was the perfect moment, also for Antoine.

"To play the way he did, the commitment to help in whatever way until the last second. I think football has been fair and given him a lovely moment."

Thomas Frank: "That's football unfortunately. It's extremely painful to be on the Tottenham side after the game. We put everything into the game, the boys worked really hard, the staff worked hard to come down here and try and get a result.

"We went 1-0 up, conceded two second-phase goals - especially the second one, we have to do much better. Then the second half the character and mentality, the focus to stay in the game and keep going against a difficult counter-attacking team was very pleasing to see.

"I thought we were closer to winning than Bournemouth were."

Next PL fixtures

Key facts

Semenyo now has 40 combined goals and assists in the Premier League (30 goals, 10 assists), moving joint-fourth with Dominic Solanke for the most goal involvements in the competition for Bournemouth, behind Josh King (62), Callum Wilson (53) and Ryan Fraser (42).

Since the start of last season only Wolves (36) have suffered more Premier League defeats than Spurs (30 - level with West Ham and Southampton).

No teenager has scored more goals in Europe's big five leagues this season than Bournemouth's Kroupi (seven - level with Lamine Yamal), who is the first teenager to score seven goals in their debut Premier League season since Dele Alli and Kelechi Iheanacho in 2015/16 (both eight).

Since the start of last season, Frank led sides have scored seven goals in the opening five minutes of Premier League games (Brentford – 5, Spurs – 2), with Eddie Howe the only manager to see his team do so more often in that time (9 goals).

Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Brian Brobbey’s 80th-minute stunner caused Tottenham Hotspur to drop more points at home in the Premier League after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland on Sunday.

Brobbey picked out the top corner with a thunderous effort after a neat one-two with Enzo Le Fee.

But things had started positively for Spurs when Ben Davies diverted Micky van de Ven’s goal-bound effort into the net from close range in the 30th minute.

However, the hosts failed to build on their momentum and after Le Fee’s header hit the post, Sunderland sealed a share of the spoils when Brobbey netted his third goal of the season.

Thomas Frank's Spurs, who also had Mohammed Kudus limp off early on, sit 13th in the table, while Regis Le Bris’ men are eighth, and just a point behind fifth-placed Manchester United.

More to follow...

Next PL fixtures

Thomas Frank failed to get one over his former side on his return to the Gtech Community Stadium as Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 with Brentford.

Goalscoring opportunities were few and far between after Kevin Schade saw an early strike ruled out for offside, but the Bees began to threaten after the break.

Both Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt failed to find the back of the net, while Igor Thiago could not test Guglielmo Vicario from a tight angle.

Caoimhin Kelleher, meanwhile, was forced into just two saves in the Brentford goal as Spurs struggled to find their rhythm on New Year’s Day.

The goalless encounter leaves Brentford in ninth, three points behind fifth-placed Chelsea, while Spurs are a point further back in 12th.

How the match unfolded

Schade thought he opened the scoring inside five minutes when he was the quickest to react to a rebound from Nathan Collins’ header, but the linesman quickly raised his flag for offside to spare Spurs' blushes.

It was a first half of very few chances from there on in, with Archie Gray seeing an effort blocked at the other end, as both defences remained resolute.

The Bees clicked into gear after the break, with Lewis-Potter scuffing an effort from Yehor Yarmoliuk’s cutback before Janelt saw his header comfortably saved by Vicario just after the hour mark.

Thiago finally saw an opportunity come his way in the 69th minute when Michael Kayode found the striker in the box, but he fired well over the bar from a narrow angle.

Neither side seemed overly willing to risk losing in search of all three points as the clock wound down, with Richarlison’s weak stoppage-time effort the closest either team came to winning at the end.

Thiago and Schade left with too much to do

As always for Brentford, Thiago was the focal point for the attack, with only Erling Haaland scoring more than his 11 goals in the Premier League this season.

And Schade was clearly eager to add to his hat-trick against AFC Bournemouth last time out, but the two forwards struggled to get the final pass away and threaten Vicario’s goal.

Both Thiago and Schade were threatening in the opening stages but began to be outnumbered when looking to catch the Spurs defence off guard as the game went on.

The closest they came was in the first half when Schade was denied a shot at goal by a late-ditch tackle from Pedro Porro, and Thiago mistimed a header from Jordan Henderson’s cross seconds later.

Lewis-Potter was often late to join the attacks, with the Bees perhaps missing the attacking presence of Dango Ouattara, who is currently away with Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives to take for Keith Andrews against his predecessor, with his backline giving very little away against Spurs.

Andrews’ side now face a difficult trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on the weekend, with Everton just one point and place above them in the table.

Frank’s lacklustre return

Ahead of his return to Brentford, Frank revealed that this would not be the same as any other fixture due to his past with his former club.

The Dane spent almost seven years as their head coach, but it was his current club who were close to being caught out early on in west London.

Schade’s disallowed goal was an early warning for Spurs, who adjusted appropriately to keep the Bees at bay.

Djed Spence and Porro did not push forward as frequently, so that Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven would not be left alone to deal with Brentford’s direct counter-attacks, while they also defended set-pieces in stronger numbers.

Brennan Johnson’s seemingly imminent move to Crystal Palace and a suspension to Xavi Simons gave Wilson Odobert a chance to prove his worth to Frank.

The 21-year-old was handed his first league start since their north London derby defeat to Arsenal in November, but he found himself focusing more on his defensive duties rather than making a difference in the attacking third.

Spurs host Sunderland in their next Premier League fixture, and Frank will be aiming to find more balance between defence and attack.

Club reports

Brentford report | Spurs report

What the managers said

Keith Andrews: "Lovely to see Thomas [Frank], as always. [He's] somebody who I respect hugely. I enjoyed working with him last season. Tonight I thought we edged it and if anybody was going to win the game it was probably us."

"They beat us twice last season, they deserved to beat us 26 days ago at Spurs. Today was a completely different performance. We wanted it quick in the tempo in the second half and they tried to slow it down.

"Thomas is very aware of what this home crowd can do and how dangerous we can be. Their goalkeeper got booked for time wasting which pretty much says it all."

Thomas Frank: "It was nice to be back and nice to acknowledge things both ways and then the whistle goes and it's business and you want to win the game.

"Definitely, we don't create enough. I think we dealt with half of the challenge here because they are very strong at home. They only gave seven shots away in the whole game so very happy with that but we didn't create enough. The amount of unforced errors today was too big."

Next five PL fixtures

Key facts

Spurs' all-time Premier League record run of 137 games without a goalless draw has come to an end, with this their first 0-0 draw since April 2022, which also came away at Brentford.

Spurs have kept more Premier League clean sheets in 19 games under Thomas Frank this season (seven), than they did in 38 matches under Ange Postecoglou across the entirety of last season (six).

Brentford have failed to score in their last four Premier League London derbies (D1 L3), winning just one of their last 10 (D4 L5), a 2-0 win at West Ham in October last year.

This was just the fourth Premier League game this season not to see a single big chance created after Liverpool v Arsenal (August), Bournemouth v Newcastle United (September) and Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest (October).

Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Liverpool held off a Richarlison-inspired fightback to beat nine-man Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

Isak – a second-half substitute – scored and was then forced off injured early in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Xavi Simons received a straight red card in the 33rd minute.

Ekitike then continued his hot streak with a towering header 66 minutes in, his fifth goal in his last three matches, putting Liverpool in a commanding position.

Yet the reigning Premier League champions relinquished their control when Spurs substitute Richarlison pulled one back in the 83rd minute.

Just as Spurs built up a head of steam, Cristian Romero capped off a poor evening, lashing out at Ibrahima Konate to receive a second yellow card, as Liverpool held on to move fifth, while Thomas Frank’s team sit 13th.

How the match unfolded

A cagey first half was punctuated by Simons’ moment of recklessness as he left his studs in on Virgil van Dijk, and after a VAR review, referee John Brooks changed his decision from a yellow card to a red.

Liverpool needed just 11 second-half minutes to make their numerical advantage count. Romero’s error gifted the Reds an opening, with Florian Wirtz playing in Isak, who coolly finished beyond Guglielmo Vicario.

In the process, though, Isak was slammed into by Micky van de Ven, and rather than celebrating, the forward had to go off with the help of Liverpool’s medical staff.

The Reds’ goal lived a charmed life when Randal Kolo Muani’s effort looped off Milos Kerkez and clipped the crossbar, but Liverpool made their fortune count as Ekitike brilliantly headed home from Jeremie Frimpong’s deflected cross.

But as the visitors seemed to be cruising towards three points, Richarlison swept in following a scramble in the box just over two minutes after his introduction.

Spurs’ hopes received a blow as Romero picked up a second booking in the 93rd minute when he kicked out at Konate, with Liverpool just about holding firm.

Early Christmas cards, but no festive cheer for Spurs

There was little Christmas cheer around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium even before Simons made Spurs’ life much more difficult with his reckless challenge on Van Dijk.

Simons has had a slow start to life at Spurs, though had shown flashes of brilliance in recent home wins against Brentford and Slavia Prague.

Yet there was no need at all for the playmaker to lunge in on his Dutch compatriot, and he can have few complaints that he was sent off.

Romero, though, endured a worse evening than Simons.

The Spurs captain was at least partly at fault for both Liverpool goals, giving away possession with a rash clearance in the build-up to Isak’s opener, before he was towered over by Ekitike when the Frenchman made it 2-0.

For Romero to let his temper boil over when Spurs had Liverpool on the ropes in stoppage time will infuriate Frank, who may have wished he had turned to Richarlison earlier, given the forward’s immediate impact from the bench.

Despite their late flurry, Spurs have won just one of their last eight league games. They head into Christmas in the bottom half and have tasted victory just twice in the top flight at home all season. A trip to Crystal Palace comes next.

Isak’s bittersweet moment

With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations, there was no drama over whether Arne Slot would start the Egyptian, who assisted against Brighton & Hove Albion last week, for the first time since November.

Liverpool were certainly missing a spark in the first half, and in truth, if not for Romero’s mistake, which the defender compounded by then rushing out of the defensive line to try and atone for it, the Reds may well have been feeling Salah’s absence.

As it was, Isak made his mark after coming on from the bench to replace Conor Bradley. His run and finish for Liverpool’s opener was excellent, and he has now netted seven league goals against Spurs.

Yet Isak’s joy was short-lived. No sooner had the ball hit the back of the net, he took the brunt of a desperate attempted block from Van de Ven, and he could not continue.

Ekitike showed his class with what turned out to be Liverpool’s winner, but Slot will be far from pleased with how his team defended in the latter stages, and even after Romero’s dismissal, Spurs still looked capable of snatching an equaliser.

Liverpool got the job done, though, and Slot will hope a home game against lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers proves easier to navigate.

Club reports

Spurs report | Liverpool report

What the managers said

Thomas Frank: "First and foremost, I'm extremely proud of the players and the team. I think they gave everything and showed unbelievable mentality and worked very hard on how to deal with setbacks.

"The way they responded to several setbacks was immense. The first one is the first red, which I think... I've seen it given before but I don't like it. I don't like those types of red cards because I think the game is gone if that's a red card. I don't think it's a reckless tackle. I don't think it's exceptional force."

Arne Slot: "Three points away at Spurs is very nice. It is a difficult stadium to go to, a good team to play against. Of course they lost last week so today they wanted to make it up in front of their fans. For us the aim was to win again because we need wins to let the league table look better for us and eventually that's what we did."

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Key facts

Spurs have lost 11 home league games in 2025, their most ever in a single calendar year across club history.

Liverpool have witnessed their opponents receive four red cards in the Premier League this season, double the number of any other side in the competition.

Liverpool’s Isak has netted seven goals across his six Premier League games against Spurs, his most against any side in the competition, with his side winning in each of his five goalscoring appearances against this opponent.

Across all competitions in 2025/26, only Erling Haaland (23) has struck more non-penalty goals amongst Premier League players than Liverpool’s Ekitike (11).