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Djed Spence was accused of diving during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, with Ian Wright calling it a 'blatant dive' as ex-referee Keith Hackett calls for retrospective punishment

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has urged authorities to introduce retrospective bans for simulation, following Ian Wright's accusation that Tottenham's Djed Spence dived during Saturday's 2-1 loss to Liverpool.

The controversial moment unfolded in the 45th minute when Spence embarked on a surging run from deep within his own territory before tumbling inside the Liverpool penalty area after seemingly being clipped by Conor Bradley. However, replays revealed there was scant contact and no spot-kick was given, leaving Spurs and Thomas Frank seething.

Offering his assessment of the decision to deny Tottenham a penalty, Wright told Premier League Productions: "You can see the other player behind him. He's got no chance of getting that ball on the other side. So he's just knocked it inside and just wanted contact and got it. It's a blatant dive for me."

Now Hackett, a former FIFA-listed official, has called for suspensions to be imposed on players caught diving during matches, with Spence being the latest to face scrutiny, reports Football London.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Hackett said: "Sadly, going to ground to deceive the referee by an act of simulation is a regular occurrence in the modern game.

"It will continue if referees fail to sanction. I do believe that the authorities need to consider retrospective punishment for acts of simulation."

Tottenham almost managed to rescue a point against Liverpool on Saturday but couldn't secure a positive result from the encounter. The hosts ultimately succumbed to a 2-1 defeat, having battled with 10 men for over an hour.

The match remained evenly poised until Xavi Simons received his marching orders in the 33rd minute for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk. The contest remained tight until Liverpool stepped up a gear after the interval, with Alexander Isak firing the Reds into the lead with an excellent strike before Hugo Ekitike extended their lead moments later.

Spurs, who were reduced to nine players in second-half injury time when Cristian Romero was dismissed, managed to pull one back through Richarlison, but it was insufficient.

"I think overall it was a good performance tonight, proud of the players and the team and how they responded," Frank said post-match.

"I actually think the first 30 was also good from us and how we responded to setbacks through the game, something we have been working very hard on, because that is the biggest thing the best teams need to do.

"How do we respond to setbacks during a game because the best teams deal with it and move on and keep going, stick to the plan, we talked about it before, structure and everything. Today we did that excellently. There was great personality and character in the team."

Tottenham midfielder Xavi Simons was sent off in Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League win on Saturday after a challenge on Virgil van Dijk, but Gary Lineker does not think it was a red card offense

Gary Lineker believes Tottenham star Xavi Simons shouldn't have received a red card during Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Spurs on Saturday. The Netherlands international was dismissed in the 33rd minute following a late tackle on Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk had played the ball back to Alisson Becker when Simons appeared to make contact with the Liverpool skipper late on the back of his Achilles. Referee John Brooks initially brandished a yellow card to the Spurs player, but was subsequently advised by VAR to review the incident on his pitch-side monitor.

Brooks chose to upgrade the caution to red, dismissing Simons and leaving Tottenham with 10 men. Spurs boss Thomas Frank was incensed by the decision in his post-match press conference, declaring the "game is gone", whilst Arne Slot felt Simons hadn't made a deliberate attempt to harm Van Dijk.

Now, former Everton and Tottenham striker Lineker has offered his perspective on the red card, reports the Liverpool Echo.

"I'm going to have a little bit of a rant myself here," he said on The Rest Is Football.

"I know in slow motion you can pick it apart, his [Xavi Simons] studs may have caught the back of his [Virgil van Dijk] calf, but the fella is just trying to put his foot on the ground.

"I mean there's absolutely zero intent. I mean yes, Virg might have got hurt, that happens in football, it happens all the time, doesn't mean to say it's a vicious foul. I just can't stand red cards for things like that, it was nothing. It's another one of those that looks in slow motion, you go 'ooh, blimey, he's raked down the back of his calf'.

"In normal speed it wasn't that, it's not like that at all. It's not like that at all. And I know they all thought it was a red card and you two may think it's a red card, and I understand now that when they look at things, they might go and break it down so slowly, but when you see it in normal speed, it's just his foot landing, he flicks him.

"It's nothing, it's absolutely nothing."

Alan Shearer added: "It's totally accidental, totally accidental, yeah."

Lineker continued: "Yellow card would've sufficed."

Simons, meanwhile, apologized after the game. He said on social media: "Mistakes happen. Virg is my captain, I would never intentionally hurt him or anyone.

"To my Spurs teammates, my manager and the fans, I take responsibility. I'm really sorry."

Van Dijk then chipped in with his verdict and said: "I don't think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and then the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off.

"I spoke to him. It's a chat that no-one needs to know."

Liverpool has been linked with a move for Antoine Semenyo in January, along with the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United, but the Reds may hold an advantage

Liverpool is anxiously awaiting the results of Alexander Isak's injury, sustained during Saturday's 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. However, the January transfer window could provide a timely opportunity should the Reds find themselves short of another forward this winter.

Isak was forced to leave the pitch after bearing the brunt of a Micky van de Ven tackle while scoring Liverpool's opening goal at Spurs. An MRI scan scheduled for Monday will determine the full extent of his injury.

Should the striker face a prolonged period on the sidelines, he would be the third Reds attacker currently unavailable, with Mohamed Salah away on duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo also sidelined through injury.

Isak is feared to have sustained a broken leg on Saturday, which would likely mean a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and leave Liverpool even shorter on options in attack amid a growing injury list.

The solution could be a £65 million ($87M) investment in the transfer market this coming January. Currently, Liverpool is among several clubs reportedly interested in Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

This figure is understood to be the 25-year-old's release clause, which expires early in the new year, meaning interested parties must move swiftly, reports the Liverpool Echo.

According to The Guardian, Liverpool is competing with major rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, but may have the upper hand as Anfield is rumored to be Semenyo's preferred destination.

It's suggested that Semenyo - who has primarily played on the right wing for his current club under Andoni Iraola - is Arne Slot's choice as a long-term successor to Salah.

However, Gakpo's unavailability might open up a spot on the left flank, whilst Semenyo has lately voiced his ambition to play through the middle in attack - a prospect should Isak be sidelined.

"I'm destined to be a No.9," the Ghanaian told AwayDays on YouTube. "Andoni, gaffer, play me as a nine - that's all I'm gonna say."

Liverpool's game against Tottenham was packed full of incidents after Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero were both sent off, but the hosts may have been lucky not to have received a third red card

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes there should have been a third red card during Liverpool’s win over Tottenham on Saturday.

Referee John Brooks had a busy evening as the Reds toiled to a 2-1 win over their nine-man hosts in north London. Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike provided the goals as Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero were both sent off for Spurs.

Despite their numerical advantage, the visitors did their best to throw away another two-goal lead this season, with Richarlison’s goal setting up a nervy finish in which Liverpool found itself clinging on for the win in stoppage time.

Although Thomas Frank may say otherwise, Tottenham can have little complaint about either of their red cards, with both Simons and Romero’s dismissals easily avoidable.

The former was sent off after raking his studs down the back of Virgil van Dijk’s calf, with the decision escalated by VAR after Brooks had originally awarded a yellow card, while Romero was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate, despite having just won a free-kick against the Liverpool defender.

And according to Hackett, the hosts were lucky not to have been reduced to eight men, with the former Premier League official insisting that Brooks missed a third red card during the game.

Hackett felt that Richarlison could have also been given his marching orders for his reaction following his goal, with the Brazilian having been involved in a tangle with Ekitike as he tried to retrieve the ball.

"There is no doubt that Richarlison is a competitive individual and certainly one that a referee needs to keep his eye on,” Hackett told Football Insider.

"In this particular situation, we see Richarlison with his hand on the neck of his opponent as he is getting up off the ground. There's a little pressure. Could easily have been a red card but was completely missed by officials, ignored by VAR and as a result, nothing happens.

"It could have been a red card mister Richarlison. Behave yourself."

Despite Hackett’s view of the incident, Richarlison would avoid any sort of punishment until he was shown a yellow card at full-time, having protested with Brooks about the amount of stoppage time added on at the end of the game.

Liverpool was playing against nine men for the final few minutes of its win over Tottenham, but Arne Slot's team didn't really make it look like that — which needs to be improved

If you wanted to be kind to Liverpool, you could say that Arne Slot’s side might have dropped points in these circumstances earlier in the campaign. That they didn't was clearly a positive.

In reality, though, while the Reds did hold on against Tottenham after Richarlison's goal cut the deficit in half, they gave themselves an unnecessary scare. Liverpool was playing against nine men by the end, but you would never have known.

There was a sense of panic and uncertainty among the Liverpool ranks. Alisson Becker seemed to want to hold onto the ball at one stage — a sensible choice — but was tempted into an attempted counter.

When it broke down far too easily because Florian Wirtz didn’t win an aerial challenge, it could have been costly.

Richarlison had netted with 16 minutes to play, including stoppage time, and Liverpool clung on, but the buzzword of last season for Slot was ‘calm’. Here, his team was anything but.

Not everything went its way. Liverpool needed to respond to setbacks and just about did.

Alexander Isak’s injury could prove to be a nightmare if he is absent for any sustained period of time. In a parallel universe where he wasn’t clattered into, that could have been the ignition he needed in his Liverpool career.

Dominik Szoboszlai must serve a suspension for his fifth booking of the campaign, while the Conor Bradley injury — the latest in a series of issues for him — is another blow.

"The thing in football is you always remember the last few minutes and they were the worst minutes of our total game," Slot told Sky Sports at the final whistle.

"If I can calm down a little bit and erase that from my memory I think there is a lot to like in our performance. I've stood here many, many times and liked the performance a lot and we were unable to get the three points.

"Now, for a large part, I liked the performance and we have the three points. [But then] we didn't keep the ball when we had the ball. We kicked it away, they got a few free-kicks, a few throw-ins, corners. It became very chaotic and hectic.

"Overall, we had good control over the game. Six games unbeaten, four wins and two draws. We are definitely not perfect yet but both of our number nines scored. Again, positives to take from the game.

"In the Premier League there is never a game that is boring. If the other team goes down to 10 then wingers are very important. Jeremie (Frimpong) is the one who created 2-0 with his actions."

Much of that is fair, but with a mixed performance (at best) and injury problems mounting, things are not all rosy again despite the result. It should have been an easy game to see out.

In some ways, there were more questions created than answers provided here. At least this time, Slot can ponder them having secured the three points.

Liverpool managed to escape with three points against Tottenham despite facing nine men, and Gary Neville claimed that it would have been "unforgivable" if they conceded

Former Manchester United star Gary Neville was stunned by Tottenham's late pressure against Liverpool on Saturday, calling it "unforgivable" as the hosts were playing with nine men.

Liverpool held on to secure a 2-1 victory in North London following goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, after Richarlison pulled one back with seven minutes remaining. Tottenham played with 10 men for 60 minutes after Xavi Simons was sent off in the first half for a dangerous challenge on Virgil van Dijk.

Isak and Ekitike handed Liverpool a comfortable lead in the second half, but Tottenham threatened to equalize in the final minutes, despite being reduced to nine men. Cristian Romero was sent off in additional time, leaving Neville astonished that Liverpool still looked vulnerable.

Romero was shown a second yellow card in injury time, but Tottenham continued to create chances and push for an unlikely equalizer. Liverpool had looked dominant throughout the second half, but lost composure when Richardlison breached the defense.

Although Liverpool managed to secure a third-straight win, Neville was unimpressed. "Liverpool have been appalling in the last few minutes," he said live on Sky Sports.

"It would be unforgivable for them to concede one now."

Although Liverpool managed to keep Tottenham at bay, it was a frantic finale in London.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot didn't appear to be concerned with the ending and was happy with the vast majority of the performance. "The difficult thing is, football is you always remember the last few minutes the most, and they were the worst minutes of our total game," he said.

"If I calm down a little bit, there’s a lot to like. I’ve stood here many times and liked the performance, and we didn’t get the three points."

Slot was also asked why Liverpool appeared to struggle when facing 10 men toward the end of the game, and then nine once Romero had been sent off. "We didn’t keep the ball when we had the ball — kicked it away, threw it away," Slot said.

"It became very hectic and chaotic in the end. The moments when we had, instead of keeping it and playing from foot to foot, we lost it every single time after two seconds."

Although it wasn't a comfortable victory, Liverpool appears to have overcome its struggles and is unbeaten since November 26. Despite concerns over their ability to defend this season, Liverpool has won the past three games and has conceded only one goal.

"We had good control over the game," Slot concluded. "Both teams didn’t create that much. Another time, a win.

"Six times unbeaten — four wins, two draws. That comes a bit closer to what we expect from us. We are definitely not perfect, but both of our Nos. 9 scored."

Alexander Isak was forced out of Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Tottenham in London after suffering an injury while scoring during the second half

It's believed Alexander Isak may have injured his lower leg, rather than his knee, during the 2-1 victory at Tottenham on Saturday.

The Liverpool striker scored his third goal for the Merseyside club, but he appeared to pick up a worrying injury in doing so. While he was striking the ball, Isak was clattered into by Micky van de Ven and went down clutching his left knee before being substituted.

Liverpool fans immediately started worrying about the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee; a ruptured ACL would end the former Newcastle star's season. Arne Slot was asked about Isak's injury and didn't seem too confident in his response.

But Isak's left knee might be completely fine, as The Athletic claims Isak has suffered a suspected lower leg injury.

Yet it's too early to say how severe Isak's injury is. Liverpool fans will be waiting anxiously for news over the next 48 hours.

Liverpool has now won three consecutive games in all competitions. Hugo Ekitike also scored on Saturday before Richarlison pulled one back late on to ensure a nervy end in London. Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero were both sent off for Spurs.

Despite the goals and red cards at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the big talking point from Saturday's game was Isak's injury.

"I don’t have any news on him, but if a player scores, gets injured, and doesn’t come back on the pitch or doesn’t try to come back, it’s usually not a good thing," Slot said when asked about the striker's condition.

"I cannot say anything more than that. That is just a gut feeling and nothing more than that. Nothing medical to say about it.

"I haven’t spoken to him about it yet, but it’s a good thing he scored, a good goal assisted by Florian Wirtz. Let’s not be too negative yet. We don’t know yet. Let’s hope Alex is back with us soon, but it is difficult to say."

Speaking of Wirtz, he's now starting to look like one of Liverpool's most important players after a slow start to life on Merseyside. He's now got six assists to his name as a Liverpool player, with three of those coming in his last five appearances.

Wirtz was asked about Isak's injury while speaking to LFC TV. He said: "With Alex it’s a bit unlucky, I hope it’s not too bad, but we have to wait for that."

Conor Bradley was also forced out of Saturday's game with an injury, while Jeremie Frimpong was taken off late on. The latter's withdrawal was due to him being on a yellow card rather than the bloody injury he suffered to his face late in the game.

Wirtz added: "I think the others (Bradley and Frimpong) are not too bad, but hopefully Alex will be back soon."

Alexander Isak hobbled off for Liverpool during a physical battle which saw Tottenham reduced to nine men on Saturday, and Hugo Ekitike believes the game resembled a war

Hugo Ekitike admitted that Liverpool won the "war" against Tottenham after securing a 2-1 victory in London, as the hosts received two red cards during a vicious encounter.

Richarlison's late goal wasn't enough to inspire a miraculous comeback for Tottenham, as goals from Ekitike and Alexander Isak secured all three points for Liverpool. However, Isak hobbled off after scoring, as his knee buckled following a strong Micky van de Ven challenge.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk avoided a serious injury in the first half after Xavi Simons scraped his studs down his calf and was shown a straight red card. Tottenham ended the game with nine men, and Ekitike admitted that it wasn't a typical soccer match.

Eight yellow cards and two reds were brandished during Saturday's clash, as Tottenham lacked discipline during the defeat. Although Ekitike's goal ensured that Liverpool celebrated its third-straight win in all competitions, the Frenchman was unhappy with how events unfolded.

"It was very physical today," Ekitike said. "There were a lot of duels, but sometimes, it was bad. That wasn’t football.

"It was a bit too much, but that’s part of football. It was a great war, and we won."

The first half was relatively uneventful, with Simons' red card the main action during a scoreless 45 minutes. That all changed in the second half, as Isak scored after 56 minutes before limping off.

Ekitike then scored a looping header to double Liverpool's lead, but the game became tense when Richarlison pulled one back in the 83rd minute. Tottenham then created several opportunities despite being down to 10 men, but were soon reduced to nine as Cristian Romero received a second booking.

Liverpool held on and jumped to fifth in the Premier League table, escaping North London with three points despite losing Isak. "It was a tough game," Ekitike added. "At 2-0, they put us under difficulties, but that’s also being a good team to not concede at 2-1.

"We kept the result, and that’s a good thing. We have to keep going. It’s a long way to being confident and going through to win."

When reflecting on the chaotic 90 minutes, Ekitike said: "That’s part of football. The fans of Spurs have been unbelievable today, they pushed them really hard so it was difficult for us.

"We have our fans as well, who were great today. They pushed us and we kept the result. When they score, we saw they were pushing, and it was difficult for us.

"But I think we had control of the game if we take the total of the game, we deserved to win today."

Liverpool beat Tottenham with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike getting on the scoresheet in the second half. This is what we spotted as Xavi Simons was sent off in the first half.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM, NORTH LONDON // Alexander Isak scored the breakthrough goal for Liverpool as Arne Slot's side moved up to fifth in the Premier League standings - but it came at a price.

Isak and Hugo Ekitike netted in the second half, but the former was helped off the field with a potentially serious injury that he picked up in the process of finishing his one-on-one.

Xavi Simons was shown a red card for a high challenge on Virgil van Dijk in the first half, with referee John Brooks, who was sent to the monitor for a second look, giving him his marching orders. The Dutchman left him with little choice.

And while Isak was needed to score the opener and the Reds were not always completely convincing, they were the deserving winners in the end, even when Richarlison provided a scare by getting one back. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded and ended in far more chaos than it should have.

Alexander Isak blow

In the Liverpool midfield in the first half, even before Simons was sent off, Arne Slot needed to see a bit more urgency. The only one showing much of it was Curtis Jones, but it took a half-time change for Liverpool to find a way through.

Things were congested and while Florian Wirtz touched the ball every now and again, it was never anything sustained. It was cruel, then, that Alexander Isak, the man to break the deadlock, was immediately taken off.

Isak took the goal well but was then clattered into by Micky van de Ven. Arne Slot won't know yet how bad it is, but Isak was clearly in a lot of pain. After a potential lift-off moment for the Reds, the 26-year-old now faces an anxious wait to see how long he will be out.

Xavi Simons' Christmas card

While Simons certainly didn't mean to hurt his international teammate, the tackle on Van Dijk was a clear red card. As soon as the referee was called to the sidelines, the 22-year-old may as well have started to make his way to the locker room.

The onus was already on Liverpool to win this game, but playing against 10 men for the majority, there really was no excuse. Things have shown signs of an upturn recently and that simply had to continue.

That was the only thing that happened first half. In the second, it all got a lot crazier than Liverpool would have wanted. Had the Reds not won in the circumstances, it would have been ridiculous, but that did, for a spell at the end, appear to be a possibility.

Jeremie Frimpong hint

Dominik Szoboszlai was superb in this game last season, scoring and helping Liverpool to a 3-6 win. Heading into this one, there was some doubt about his availability given the injury he sustained against Brighton.

In the middle of the pitch, he found things difficult. At right-back, he was slightly better, purely because there was more space for him to work in. Without the extra focal point of Isak, however, he wasn't always given much to aim at.

Interestingly, even when Jeremie Frimpong came on, Szoboszlai still stayed at right-back. That would suggest the Dutchman is very much viewed as a forward.

If Bradley is out for any period of time, we might get to test that theory, though not against Wolves. After he was booked, Szoboszlai will be suspended for that game.

Hugo Ekitike scoring form

With back-to-back braces in each of his last two Premier League games, Hugo Ekitike is in good form. He scored against Spurs last season (in the Europa League for Eintracht Frankfurt) too.

Here, though, for a while, he struggled to win his battle with Cristian Romero and Van de Ven. Van Dijk played a couple of balls in behind that he was outmuscled. With or without Isak, Liverpool needed a bit more.

Ekitike, to his credit, kept plugging away. He leapt above Romero to score the second goal, which proved crucial. He did little else, but as long as he keeps up the goalscoring, that won't matter.

Premier League state of play

With a win, Liverpool moved up to fifth, though it will have to kick on again and play better than this in the future if it is to maintain that position. It was scruffy, and it might have been different 11 versus 11, but the Reds got over the line.

Anything else would have been unacceptable. Tottenham went into the game in 13th place — behind Brentford — and it is at home, in particular, that Thomas Frank's side has struggled. In the calendar year of 2025, Spurs have now played at home in the Premier League 18 times, winning just four.

It wasn't pretty, but Liverpool suddenly looks in a respectable position again. As 2026 nears, it has something to build on, even if it knows it must play much more convincingly than this.

Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Tottenham as Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike scored for Arne Slot's side and Richarlison got on the scoresheet too

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM, NORTH LONDON // Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike fired Liverpool into the Champions League places as Arne Slot's side held on to beat nine-man Spurs.

Midway through the first half, Xavi Simons was shown a red card following a VAR review after a tackle high up on Virgil van Dijk's calf. Referee John Brooks was left with little choice after he was sent to the pitchside screen.

Isak broke the deadlock with a calm finish and looked bright, but was brought down by Micky van de Ven in the process of finding the back of the net, which saw him need help off the field.

Ekitike doubled the lead a short while later before Richarlison netted. Cristian Romero was then sent off for a second caution, and even that didn't prevent a nervy finish. In the end, Liverpool held on but wasn't convincing in the slightest.

Winners

Continuing his good goalscoring form, Ekitike didn't do much until he found the back of the net. Arne Slot will take that most weeks from the 23-year-old forward.

Curtis Jones is another to have played well lately. He pressed hard and was neat in possession, standing out over the others in a congested midfield department. Florian Wirtz was pretty good, but more is needed across the board.

Losers

Isak should have been in the category above here. He took his goal well and he looked pretty sharp for the short spell that he was on the field. Then, though, he hobbled off and now has an anxious wait to discover the extent of his injury. It has been a difficult period for him since he arrived from Newcastle United. Just when he should have been celebrating a huge boost, he faces another setback.

Player ratings

Alisson Becker (6). Came out quickly to smother one through ball but didn't have loads to do. As has often been the case recently, he wasn't even taking the goal kicks. Busier at the end than he should have been.

Conor Bradley (6). Back following a one-match ban, he was fortunate to win a free-kick at one stage when Djed Spence was adjudged to have fouled him when he got on the wrong side. Got back in to cover balls in behind a few times. Taken off at half-time after sustaining a knock.

Ibrahima Konate (6). Decent on the ball but little more, and strong enough in the tackle when he needed to be. Randal Kolo Muani was very limited and Spurs weren't helped by the red card. Booked for an unnecessary pull back.

Virgil van Dijk (6). An early header went straight into the hands of Guglielmo Vicario but he couldn't do much more under pressure. This was more about his ability on the ball, with the amount of defending he needed to take part in limited (though he perhaps could have done a little better with the Richarlison goal). He kept it ticking.

Milos Kerkez (6). Seemingly having regained his spot at the number one pick at left-back, he was given the licence to fly forward and provide width down the flank. Got some decent crosses in but was never wholly convincing.

Ryan Gravenberch (6). There was very little space in the middle of the field and the 23-year-old struggled to do much beyond passing sideways and backwards. A bit like Van Dijk, he kept it moving enough.

Curtis Jones (7). In great form heading into this game, he was tidy on the ball and pressed really well, especially first half. Quietly effective in the middle, where he seems to really like the deeper role.

Dominik Szoboszlai (6). Fit again after injury, the Hungary captain was involved sporadically as a midfielder and got more time and space out wide when he moved to full-back. Better second half than first.

Alexis Mac Allister (6). The Argentine got a little lost in the sea of Spurs defenders and didn't often find enough space to work in. He worked hard and pressed well but Liverpool needed a bit more.

Florian Wirtz (7). Coming inside from the left flank, he got a bit lost among the bodies at times. The German frustrated himself with a couple of poor touches but got better in the second half and helped make the breakthrough.

Hugo Ekitike (7). With his place in the starting XI unquestionably deserved, Ekitike had the chance to kick on here. He was kept quiet, though, and didn't offer much for a long time. He struggled to get involved but then beat Romero in the air to make it 2-0.

Substitutes

Alexander Isak (7). On at half-time to offer some more impetus in attack, the Swede made the difference. Unfortunately for him, the price could be a long-term injury. Incredibly cruel.