Liverpool FC

Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike were on the scoresheet for the Reds in Saturday's Premier League clash in north London.

Hear the thoughts of head coach Arne Slot following full-time, plus those of the man voted Player of the Match by fans, Florian Wirtz.

Meanwhile, former Liverpool players Jason McAteer, Ray Houghton and Sammy Lee dissect the key events of the encounter.

The Reds claimed a third consecutive win across all competitions thanks to second-half goals by Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Earlier in Saturday's game, Xavi Simons had been sent off for the hosts, who pulled a goal back late on through Richarlison before Cristian Romero was also dismissed in stoppage time.

See extended highlights and a full replay of the Premier League encounter in the videos below.

Join All Red Video now and get your first month free

On the injury to Isak sustained as he scored...

I don't have any news on him, but if a player scores, then gets injured and then doesn't come back on the pitch and doesn't try to come back... which Conor Bradley, for example, did, but I had to take him off as well because he couldn't go on, but if a player doesn't even try to come back that's usually not a good thing. But I cannot say anything more than that, that is just [a] gut feeling. Nothing medical to say about it.

On whether Isak has said anything about it...

I haven't spoken to him about it yet. It's a good thing that he scored: a good goal, assisted by Florian Wirtz. I said last week already players are getting better and the team is getting better. Again, it wasn't perfect today, especially not in the last 10 minutes, but in the meantime we pick up points and I see the team developing in a way I like to see.

On whether losing Isak is 'all the more frustrating' after he scored from a Wirtz assist...

Yes, that is what we would like to see happening a lot. Good finish, good pass, but let's not be too negative yet. We don't know yet. Let's hope he is back with us soon but difficult to say to you now.

Read our match report from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium here

On whether Jeremie Frimpong was substituted due to injury...

No, Jeremie has no problem at all. I didn't want to go down to 10 men for 30 seconds. I think this is the only country where if players are injured they need to go off for 30 seconds, with a head injury [it is] even 45, so I adapted to that. I knew there wasn't long to play and I thought we struggled a lot with our plus one, so playing 10-v-10 for half a minute with him being on the floor, yes or no, then we just go with Federico [Chiesa]. No problem with him, but with Alex and with Conor we have to wait. You could see our bench today as well, but this is not for the first time in the last few weeks and we are picking up points and that's the main thing. We are not the only team that suffers injuries in this period in England because we play so many games. This is quite normal, that teams have injuries in this period of time.

On pushing for the top four again...

Of course we are happy with that. But when we started the season, it wasn't as if I was thrilled and completely happy when we were top four. We're always aiming for the best possible and, after a very good start we had, we were disappointed with the run of results we had afterwards. But I think you've said it, we are now maybe on equal points for top four, I don't exactly know. But don't forget, in the Champions League we've done quite well with a very difficult draw. I see a lot of teams that hardly have a point but we haven't faced them. So, I think it's never been as bad as people said, but it's also true that we are definitely not perfect yet. But we knew this when we made so many changes in the summer that it would take time. Maybe because we won the first five or six games, everybody thought this would just go so easily. But as a club, ownership, Richard [Hughes], Michael [Edwards], all the other people, knew that change could, could, could also go with different results – and that has shown to be true.

On being under pressure despite the numerical advantage or whether it's 'naturally the way a game goes when a team gets a goal'...

That is definitely true, that last thing. It is always difficult if I try to explain why it's difficult and then people tell me afterwards, 'You tell too much to your future opponents.' I think it was quite obvious what Newcastle did and it was quite obvious what Tottenham did, but then maybe I shouldn't say it. But in the meantime when we had the ball, that was what hurt me the most because from the nine minutes of added time – which ended up with 10 [and] were completely correct this time – I think they had 95 per cent of the ball. So every time when we had the ball, we kicked it away or we threw it away. It was unbelievable that we couldn't keep the ball a bit longer, so then you have to defend for nine minutes, nine-and-a-half minutes.

On Tottenham going down to nine men...

I thought it would mean that it was a bit easier but in reality it wasn't. Of course they still had the free-kick and I know what a special player [Pedro] Porro is and how good of a free-kick he has – he showed that already with the corner kick he took which led eventually to the goal and in some other moments. I thought, 'Let's first survive this free-kick.' And to be honest, I thought against nine we would probably be able to keep them away from our goal. But it looked as if we were down to nine and they were with 11, because it was attack after attack after attack, which didn't lead to a goal.

On the red-card decisions...

The second one I haven't seen. I thought one of our players got a yellow and I was like, 'How can Ibou [Konate] get a yellow card for this?' But Ibou wasn't even on a yellow. But then I saw that they got one. So, I don't know what happened, why he got the second yellow. The first one with Xavi Simons, I don't think he had any intention to do it. But if you see it back, where he touches him from behind, studs, the height, I think it was calf, [on the] Achilles, already a few times when other teams made fouls like that against us it didn't lead to a red card, but this time it did. I've seen multiple times that these fouls are a red card. But I've seen this season a few times when other teams made these same fouls against us that it wasn't. You always rely a little bit on who is the VAR and which decision [the] referee makes.

The playmaker has landed the award for the second time this season after helping the Reds to three points in the capital.

Wirtz recorded an assist for Alexander Isak's opening goal, while Hugo Ekitike added to the scoreline, ahead of Richarlison's late consolation effort for nine-man Spurs.

The forward netted for a third consecutive Premier League appearance with a clever header that put his side two goals up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.

Ekitike has scored five times in his last three top-flight outings and, overall, has tallied 11 for the Reds since his summer transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.

He told BBC Match of the Day: “[It is] the best feeling as a striker. You need goals. The most important is the win and to play with confidence, and obviously if I can help with goals.

“The first goal I helped with the pass before the assist, so I try to help the team the best as I can and that’s the most important.”

Read our match report from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

An eventful match in London featured a first-half red card for Spurs’ Xavi Simons, before Alexander Isak put Liverpool in front with a clinical finish soon after the restart.

Ekitike’s header then made it 2-0 but Tottenham pulled one back inside the final 10 minutes through Richarlison, with their captain Cristian Romero then also sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.

Ekitike added: “It wasn’t our best game, a difficult game, but we had the control. It was difficult in the last part of the second half because they pushed and they scored. We kept the result and we go back to Liverpool with the win, that is the most important thing.

“It is never easier [to play against 10 men]. They play at home, the fans push them and they have more energy, more than at the start.

“That makes it more difficult, so you have to play smart and to fight for every ball.”

Spurs had Xavi Simons sent off just past the half-hour mark and Isak then broke the deadlock in the capital with a 56th-minute finish.

Ekitike's header 10 minutes later – his fifth goal in his last three league outings – was enough to secure the points for the Reds, who held on after Richarlison netted late in the second half.

The hosts went down to nine men in stoppage time after Cristian Romero was guilty of a second bookable offence.

Team

Conor Bradley returned from suspension as the only change to the line-up Liverpool deployed against Brighton & Hove Albion the previous weekend.

Jeremie Frimpong started on the bench after recovering from the injury he sustained in October.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz (Nyoni, 90+9), Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Bradley (Isak, 46 [Frimpong, 60 (Chiesa, 90)]), Jones, Ekitike (Robertson, 90+9), Gravenberch.

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Ramsay, Ngumoha, Lucky.

First half

Clear-cut chances were at a premium in the opening period, even after Tottenham were reduced to 10.

Bradley made an important block on a Randal Kolo Muani shot inside the first five minutes.

Virgil van Dijk headed straight at the goalkeeper before Kolo Muani did the same at the other end.

The flashpoint of the half came when Simons' initial yellow card for a challenge on Van Dijk was changed to a red via a VAR review, with it deemed serious foul play.

Liverpool looked to press home their numerical advantage immediately, Florian Wirtz testing Guglielmo Vicario with a side-footed curler from inside the box.

Second half

Isak came on for Bradley, who took a knock towards the end of the first half, as Dominik Szoboszlai dropped into right-back.

The No.9 was only on the field for 11 minutes but in his final act he put the visitors ahead by thrashing a first-time finish past Vicario, having been played in by Wirtz.

There was no celebration from the scorer, however, as he remained on the ground as a result of being caught by Micky van de Ven in the process.

Spurs nearly levelled when a run from Kolo Muani ended with a strike that took a deflection from Milos Kerkez and floated onto the crossbar.

Two minutes passed and then they were down by two.

Ekitike beat Romero in the air inside the six-yard box to nod home a Frimpong cross that looped off the outstretched foot of Djed Spence.

Richarlison gave the home side hope in the 83rd minute, capitalising on the Reds failing to clear their lines from a corner to halve the deficit.

There were nervy moments in the closing stages, although Liverpool's cause was somewhat aided by Romero receiving his second yellow.

The points were preserved by Alisson Becker intervening on a Pedro Porro shot and threatening cross from Wilson Odobert.

Conor Bradley returns from suspension to replace the injured Joe Gomez in London.

Elsewhere, Jeremie Frimpong is named among the substitutes after returning to fitness.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Bradley, Jones, Ekitike, Gravenberch.

Season so far

Thomas Frank's side have taken 22 points from their 16 games in the top flight this term so far.

Six wins and four draws have been offset by six defeats - with three of those coming in the past five outings.

Spurs were beaten 3-0 away from home at Nottingham Forest last time out in the league.

Key players

Richarlison is the leading scorer for Tottenham in the Premier League in 2025-26 with six goals.

Defender Micky van de Ven is next-best with three strikes.

Mohammed Kudus has been their chief creator in league football, registering five assists.

Guglielmo Vicario has made 47 saves - the joint-third-highest figure across the division at this stage.

Team news

Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Kota Takai and Destiny Udogie remain sidelined due to injury.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Previous meetings

Liverpool enjoyed much the upper hand across four clashes between the clubs last season.

They ran out 6-3 victors in this fixture almost exactly 12 months ago, and then sealed their status as Premier League champions with a 5-1 win in the return at Anfield in April.

In between, the Reds defeated Tottenham 4-1 on aggregate in their two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final.

What they said

Frank, Spurs head coach

"It's a very good team that we're facing but we also know if we hit a high level, we can compete very well, I believe we can do something good and we'll go for the three points.

"We worked very hard on our breakthrough phase, worked very hard on our positions there, and how we do that this week. Then, of course, [we] also worked on the defensive side of the game."

Pre-match stats

This is the top-scoring fixture in Premier League history (206 goals). The last three league matches between the pair have seen 21 goals (seven per game), while there have been at least three goals in 14 of their last 16 Premier League meetings.

Richarlison has been involved in seven Premier League goals against Liverpool (four goals, three assists), more than he has against any other opponent. All four of his goals have come at Anfield.

Following their 2-0 win over Brentford, Spurs will be looking to win back-to-back home Premier League matches for the first time since a run of three ending in November 2024.

Tottenham have won seven of their last nine Premier League games kicking off at 5.30pm on a Saturday, a run which includes a 2-1 win over Liverpool in September 2023.

Frimpong has been declared fit for the Premier League encounter in the capital after recovering from the injury he sustained away at Eintracht Frankfurt in October.

Bradley, meanwhile, was absent from last weekend's win over Brighton & Hove Albion due to suspension.

Joe Gomez came off against the Seagulls with a muscle injury and was replaced at right-back by Dominik Szoboszlai, who suffered an ankle issue himself in the closing stages of that game.

Gomez and Cody Gakpo have been ruled out of the meeting with Spurs, but it is hoped Szoboszlai will be able to play.

Arne Slot said at his pre-match press conference on Friday morning: "He [Gakpo] had a scan that looked promising so that means that we are not that worried anymore, as we were maybe one or two weeks ago.

"So that means he might come back a bit earlier than expected two weeks ago, but that's definitely not tomorrow and also not next week.

"Joe is not in the squad as well for the weekend and Dominik trained yesterday, parts of the training [session], for the first time so let's see where he is today and how he is tomorrow. Jeremie is in the squad again as well."

Slot later added that Szoboszlai's involvement in the Reds' matchday-minus-one workout would determine whether he is able to start against Spurs.

"If the player feels comfortable to play and he did all the things he had to do, then he will start," the head coach said. "If he can fulfil the whole session or he fulfils it but he doesn't feel comfortable himself, we will have a discussion."

Mohamed Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, as are Tottenham midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr.

The hosts have no fresh injury concerns following their defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out.

They do, however, remain without Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Kota Takai and Destiny Udogie.

Boss Thomas Frank said: "Everyone is doing fine. Last game, it's the same players available. No-one new is available in the squad."

Like Liverpool, Frank's side come into this game having not played in midweek, which has allowed for greater time on the training pitch.

"It's been nice to finally have a full training week. That helps. I've said a few times, we have a few good players out with a lot of goals and assists in them," Frank continued.

"A full week definitely helps a lot. I would be very surprised if we don't have the energy. If you play in the Premier League and Europe at the same time, it is a massive physical and mental load – but no excuses, that's what we want."

Last match

Nottingham Forest 3-0 Tottenham (December 14): Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Bentancur, Gray, Simons, Kudus, Kolo-Muani, Richarlison.

Liverpool 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion (December 13): Alisson, Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ekitike.

Frimpong è stato dichiarato idoneo per la partita di Premier League nella capitale dopo essersi ripreso dall'infortunio subito in trasferta all'Eintracht Frankfurt a ottobre.

Bradley, nel frattempo, era assente dalla vittoria dello scorso fine settimana contro il Brighton & Hove Albion a causa della squalifica.

Joe Gomez è uscito contro i Seagulls per un infortunio muscolare ed è stato sostituito come terzino destro da Dominik Szoboszlai, che ha subito lui stesso un problema alla caviglia nelle fasi finali di quella partita.

Gomez e Cody Gakpo sono stati esclusi dall'incontro con gli Spurs, ma si spera che Szoboszlai possa giocare.

Arne Slot ha dichiarato nella sua conferenza stampa pre-partita di venerdì mattina: «Lui [Gakpo] ha avuto una scansione che sembrava promettente, quindi significa che non siamo più così preoccupati, come forse una o due settimane fa.

«Quindi potrebbe tornare un po' prima del previsto due settimane fa, ma sicuramente non è domani e nemmeno la prossima settimana.

«Anche Joe non è in squadra per il fine settimana e Dominik si è allenato ieri, parte dell'allenamento [sessione], per la prima volta, quindi vediamo dov'è oggi e come sta domani. Anche Jeremie è di nuovo in squadra»

.

Slot ha poi aggiunto che il coinvolgimento di Szoboszlai nell'allenamento della giornata meno uno dei Reds determinerebbe se sarà in grado di iniziare contro gli Spurs.

«Se il giocatore si sente a suo agio nel giocare e ha fatto tutte le cose che doveva fare, allora inizierà», ha detto l'allenatore. «Se riesce a portare a termine l'intera sessione o la completa ma non si sente a suo agio, ne discuteremo

».

Mohamed Salah è in trasferta alla Coppa delle Nazioni Africane, così come i centrocampisti del Tottenham Yves Bissouma e Pape Matar Sarr.

I padroni di casa non hanno nuovi problemi di infortunio dopo la sconfitta contro il Nottingham Forest l'ultima volta.

Rimangono tuttavia senza Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Kota Takai e Destiny Udogie.

Il

boss Thomas Frank ha dichiarato: «Stanno tutti bene. Nell'ultima partita, sono gli stessi giocatori disponibili. Non sono disponibili nuovi giocatori in rosa».

Come il Liverpool, la squadra di Frank arriva a questa partita non giocando a metà settimana, il che ha permesso di trascorrere più tempo in campo di allenamento.

«È stato bello avere finalmente una settimana di allenamento completa. Questo aiuta. L'ho detto alcune volte, abbiamo alcuni buoni giocatori con molti gol e assist», ha continuato Frank.

«Una settimana intera aiuta sicuramente molto. Sarei molto sorpreso se non avessimo l'energia. Se giochi in Premier League e in Europa contemporaneamente, è un enorme carico fisico e mentale, ma niente scuse, è quello che vogliamo».

Ultima partita

Nottingham Forest 3-0 Tottenham (14 dicembre): Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Bentancur, Gray, Simons, Kudus, Kolo-Muani, Richarlison

.

Liverpool 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion (13 dicembre): Alisson, Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ekitike.