The Independent

Thomas Frank was furious that Hugo Ekitike was not penalised for pushing Tottenham captain Cristian Romero as the striker doubled Liverpool’s lead in a chaotic 2-1 defeat to the Premier League champions.

Spurs finished down to nine players after two red cards - with Xavi Simons and Romero sent off - but Frank pointed to Ekitike’s goal in the 66th minute as the “biggest mistake” the officials made during the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“I think the second goal is a mistake from the ref,” Frank said. “I think there's two clear hands on the back. I don't understand it, how you can do that. Everywhere else we've seen that, 1000 times out there on the pitch, someone will go up on a header, a goal kick into the centre-back, two hands in the back, and boom, foul, but apparently not the penalty box.

“I think that was the biggest mistake, in my opinion, and from VAR. But apparently it was not enough.”

Romero was booked for his protests, with the Tottenham captain sent off in stoppage time for kicking out at Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.

Tottenham played for over an hour down to 10 men after Simons was sent off for catching Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk on the calf with his studs.

“I don't like this as a red card,” Frank said. “I think the game is probably too big to take on, but for me it's not reckless, it's not he’s coming with exceptional force.

“He’s chasing Van Dijk. He's he's trying to put pressure and then he changed direction and then unfortunately his foot is on his Achilles.

“You could say, you need to be smarter, don't do it and all that, but so we're not allowed to have physical contact anymore?

“So that’s the next thing. How can you get a three-game ban on something that's not reckless? That's absolutely wrong.”

Arne Slot agreed with Frank’s assessment that he had seen challenges like Simons’s not given as a red card.

“I don't think he had any intention to do it,” Slot said. “But if you see it back, where he touches him from behind, the height, I think it was calf, Achilles.

”There have been a few times in games when other teams made fouls like that against us and it didn't lead to a red card.

”This time it did. I think 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 the same fouls against us that it wasn't, so.”

Ekitike, for his part, did not think he fouled Romero. "It's part of the game,” Ekitike said “He is a defender, I'm a striker. I judged the cross better than he did and I took the ball. That is why I scored. That is his opinion, my opinion is that it was a great cross, a lucky header, but I did the right thing.”

Liverpool will be sweating over the fitness of Alexander Isak after he suffered a heartbreaking injury in the process of what could have been a lift-off moment in his Reds career.

Arne Slot’s side were chasing an opener during their chaotic 2-1 win over Tottenham, who had been reduced to 10 men, when Liverpool’s two big-money signings – Florian Wirtz and Isak – combined to break the deadlock in the 56th minute.

Cristian Romero gave the ball away with a sloppy pass before the ball was slipped to Wirtz in space, who guided it into the Swedish striker to finish with aplomb.

The goal was only Isak’s second in the Premier League since joining Liverpool in the summer, while Wirtz’s assist acted as his long-awaited first goal contribution in the English top flight.

While the moment seemed to symbolise a turning of the page for the £225m duo, it was tinged with sourness with Isak writhing in pain as the ball hit the net.

He had been clattered by a last-ditch challenge from Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven, who failed to put a block in but instead scissored Isak to the ground.

Isak was unable to get to his feet and celebrate as he was surrounded by team-mates, with Liverpool’s physios soon running onto the pitch to treat the leg injury he has sustained.

At one point, it appeared Isak would need a stretcher to come off the field. He was, however, able to hobble off the pitch on his two feet, albeit with the help of two club doctors. He was replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, with his final act being the goal he had just scored.

Liverpool boss Slot was asked about Isak’s condition in his post-match press conference but had little new information to provide.

“I don’t have any news on him. If a player scores and then doesn’t come back on the pitch because he couldn’t go on – because he didn’t even try and get on – that’s usually not a good thing,” said Slot.

“But I can’t say anything more than that – that is just gut feeling, nothing medical. But let’s not be too negative yet. Let’s hope he’s back with us soon.”

Speaking on Sky Sports’ broadcast of the game, co-commentator Gary Neville expressed his concern as soon as Isak was taken off the pitch.

“That is a sad sight for Isak,” said Neville. “That could have been his lift-off moment. But he has picked up an injury."

Isak, who had been brought on at half-time after a dismal first half of football from both sides, only bagged his first Premier League goal in a Liverpool shirt at the end of November, firing home against West Ham.

It was his second goal in all competitions since his British record transfer from Newcastle, with the first coming against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September.

He has so far been largely overshadowed by Hugo Ekitike’s striking exploits, with the Frenchman doubling Liverpool’s lead to bag his eighth league goal of the season and the Reds eventually clinging on for a 2-1 win despite Richarlison pulling one back.

In a flash, the pieces finally clicked together.

It took less than six seconds for Liverpool’s £300m trio to rip through Tottenham’s 10 men after Cristian Romero’s careless pass from defence. Hugo Ekitike looked up and picked out Florian Wirtz, suddenly free in the space he has spent so much time trying to find. Wirtz took a touch and sensed the run immediately, producing the pass. And there was Alexander Isak, supplying the movement and the first-time finish, as well as the ruthlessness Liverpool wanted when they smashed their transfer record to sign him.

And then, like a window that closed as quickly as it had opened, a vision of Liverpool’s future disappeared.

Isak, upon scoring just his second Premier League goal since his record £125m from Newcastle, was clattered into by Micky van de Ven as the Tottenham defender attempted the block. The striker’s face revealed the immediate concern, as did the sight of Liverpool’s players cutting their celebrations short. As soon as Isak had lift off, he was grounded again. On as a half-time substitute, he limped off 10 minutes later with an ankle injury that could sideline him for the foreseeable future.

Ekitike’s towering header to double Liverpool’s lead suggested the champions still have a goalscorer. Romero wanted a foul, and picked up his first yellow card for protesting. Ekitike only saw the ball. “It's part of the game,” Ekitike said. “He is a defender, I'm a striker. I judged the cross better than he did.” Thomas Frank disagreed. In a game packed full of incidents, the Spurs boss felt Ekitike’s push on Romero was the biggest mistake the officials made.

Ekitike’s fifth goal in three Premier League games ended up being decisive for Arne Slot’s side as they held on against the nine-man hosts, reduced in number first by Xavi Simons’s first-half red card, then further by Romero’s much later red for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate, but who rallied through Richarlison’s finish in between. “It looked like we were down to nine,” Slot said. “It was attack after attack after attack.”

Liverpool’s wastefulness in possession late on, and failure to exert their numerical advantage to see out a comfortable victory, hurt Slot. But he also saw a Liverpool side who continue to progress after a troubled season of change and false starts. They have now won three games in a row and there was another improved performance from Wirtz, who registered his first Premier League assist at long last. “It wasn’t perfect,” Slot admitted. “But the team is getting better.” The prospect of Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz working in tandem continuing that development, though, remains only a glimpse.

The reason Isak was called upon at half-time came down to Liverpool needing to exert more authority on a game that was passing them by until Simons’ straight-red card for catching Liverpool captain, and Simons’ Netherlands international team-mate, Virgil van Dijk. Until then, Tottenham had been the better side, offering more threat than the visitors, but they found a way to condemn themselves to a 11th home league defeat of 2025 - a club record.

Simons’s challenge was on one hand brainless, with his raised studs catching Van Dijk on the calf, and on the other hand unfortunately mistimed. In real time, and in the stadium, it did not feel overly forceful. But, once you saw the replays and the frozen image of where his studs landed, and once John Brooks was sent to the pitchside monitor, the red card felt inevitable.

When it came and the replays were shown in the stadium to howls from the home supporters, they and Frank were united in their anger. A team and its fanbase that has so often felt disconnected at home became fuelled by its frustration. The Tottenham players who have taken to walking off at half-time as a team to display a sense of togetherness did so to the sound of boos. For once, the boos were not directed at them.

At the same time, Isak began his warm-up. He replaced right back Conor Bradley, who also limped off after clashing with team-mate Curtis Jones while attempting to stop Djed Spence in the box. Tottenham wanted a penalty but the foul went against Spence. But it cut Bradley’s evening short and gives Slot another fitness issue, to another injury-prone player, that the Dutchman has to deal with over the festive period.

And for Slot, that includes Isak as well. His disrupted spell since forcing through a move from Newcastle to Liverpool on deadline day could now include more injuries than goals. Ekitike will have to lead the line for a little while longer but appears to thrive with the responsibility.

How Liverpool ended up needing his goal on 66 minutes after Richarlison, improbably, pulled one back for Spurs with his latest goal against Liverpool. It sparked, improbably, a late surge. Even after captain Romero’s senseless kick at Konate, reducing Tottenham to nine, Liverpool required Alisson’s safe hands to deny Pedro Porro.

In that wild last period Liverpool lack control and composure. There was far too much drama for a game they should have seen out. They will now, also, be without the most expensive part of its new-look attack, just as it had fired into life.

Tottenham host Liverpool in Saturday’s late kick-off in the Premier League, with the hosts looking for an unlikely win against the champions to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Thomas Frank.

The Dane has overseen a turbulent opening few months of the season in north London – with the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last week Spurs’ sixth in the league – but reports suggest his job is still safe.

And while a win over Liverpool this weekend would certainly buy Frank more time, the Reds arrive in the capital in improved form, with Arne Slot’s side having won their last two matches, including against Brighton last time out.

Slot seems to have steadied the ship somewhat at Anfield, even though the Mohamed Salah saga still hangs over the club, but a loss to a struggling Spurs could see the pressure piled back on the Dutchman this evening.

Liverpool face a test of their recent resurgence as they visit a Tottenham side desperate for a result in the Premier League to ease the pressure on Thomas Frank.

Spurs were beaten 3-0 by Nottingham Forest last weekend, in what was a potentially damaging blow after back-to-back wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague.

Liverpool defeated Brighton 2-0 last Saturday in Mohamed Salah’s last game before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, with Arne Slot’s side showing signs of steadying the ship.

After a dismal run of results, Liverpool have won back-to-back games and are unbeaten in five matches - while Hugo Ekitike has come into form with four goals in his last two league appearances.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Tottenham v Liverpool?

The match kicks off at 5:30pm on Saturday 20 December at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How can I watch it?

It will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage starting from 5pm.

What is the team news?

Pape Sarr has gone to the Africa Cup of Nations while Thomas Frank continues to deal with a lengthy injury list that includes James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Liverpool will be without Mohamed Salah, as well as Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong. Conor Bradley returns from suspension but Dominik Szoboszlai is a doubt.

Possible line-ups

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Spence; Bentancur, Gray, Simons; Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Wirtz; Isak, Ekitike

Tottenham vs Liverpool betting tips

Tottenham Hotspur host Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday as both sides continue to navigate very different crises this weekend.

Arne Slot has steadied the ship with recent wins over Inter Milan and Brighton but the future of Mohamed Salah still hangs over Anfield despite the Egyptian’s return to the squad, with little known about his future once he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Meanwhile, there is even more scrutiny on Spurs and Thomas Frank after the Dane saw his side lose 3-0 away to Nottingham Forest last week, with that result bringing the third loss in the last five league games for the Lilywhites.

This weekend’s match is the first in a potentially tough run of fixtures for the hosts, who have Crystal Palace and Brentford to come over the Christmas period, but a win feels almost as vital for Slot and Liverpool as it does for Spurs, with Salah’s absence once again turning the focus onto performances as well as results at Anfield.

Thankfully for the Dutchman, this match comes at a good time to face Spurs, with their own recent performances meaning betting sites have early Premier League odds as low as evens for a Reds win, compared to a healthy price for a home victory.

Tottenham vs Liverpool prediction: Liverpool to continue winning rebuild

Both sides come into this match with problems of their own, though in recent weeks their mixed form has shown that both struggle to defend well for 90 minutes.

Tottenham have conceded seven goals across their last five matches, with the match before that seeing them conceded five away to PSG, and as Forest showed last week, even less gifted attacking units can hurt this Spurs side.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have conceded four across their last five, though the 4-1 loss to PSV at home showed that the Reds can make mistakes too, and the draws to Sunderland and Leeds, in which they conceded four across two matches, show that they are still susceptible to leaking soft goals, especially when playing away.

However, the overall superior quality of each squad should show this weekend, and the Reds come into the game in far better form, having won three of their last five and drawing the other two.

And while both can struggle in defence, Spurs can also struggle with scoring goals at times, which is something Liverpool are capable of even when at their worst, as shown in the 3-3 draw with Leeds.

Overall, the Reds have nine goals in their last five, and considering Spurs’ injuries and absentees, it makes sense that the visitors head into the game as firm favourites, having last lost at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the league in controversial circumstances in September 2023 (when a nine-man side conceded a last-minute goal to lose 2-1).

Football betting sites clearly think the Reds are good value for the win, and while we think they’ll get the three points, we do think both sides will score in north London.

Tottenham vs Liverpool prediction 1: Liverpool to win, both teams to score - 5/2 Ladbrokes

Tottenham vs Liverpool tip: Ekitike to continue scoring streak

The signing of Ekitike caused excitement and confusion in equal measure in some quarters after the arrival of Alexander Isak, but it’s the young Frenchman who has hit the ground running at Anfield, emerging as one of the club’s best attacking options amidst Isak’s struggles.

He seems to have found his stride in recent weeks too, scoring four in his last two after bagging braces against both Leeds and Brighton while playing striker in his Swedish teammate’s absence, and he now has 10 goals across 23 appearances so far since joining the Reds.

Isak could make a return to the starting line-up this week but if he doesn’t then Ekitike will once again lead the line, but even if the 23-year-old does not play as a lone striker as he did against Leeds and Brighton, he’ll have plenty of attacking involvement in the absence of Salah and potentially Dominik Szoboszlai, so we’re backing him to stay in the goals in the capital this weekend.

Tottenham vs Liverpool prediction 2: Hugo Ekitike to score anytime - 11/8 Bet365

Tottenham vs Liverpool team news

Tottenham: The hosts will be missing at least eight players this weekend, with James Maddison a long-term absentee and Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma away on Afcon duty.

Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski continue their recoveries from respective knee injuries, while Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie are not expected back until the New Year.

Liverpool: Salah is the main absentee for the visitors, with the Egyptian on international duty with Egypt, while Wataru Endo and Cody Gakpo remain out.

Joe Gomez and Dominik Szoboszlai will face late assessments after being forced off in the win over Brighton, though Jeremie Frimpong has returned to training and could make a return to the matchday squad,

Tottenham vs Liverpool predicted line-ups

Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Gray; Johnson, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison.

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

Responsible gambling

When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven claims that Alexander Isak is the best striker he has faced in the Premier League, with the Dutchman labelling the Liverpool man as “top class”.

Van de Ven joined Spurs in the summer of 2023, and has faced the likes of Erling Haaland and Mo Salah during his time in north London, though he named Isak as the best attacking player he has come up against.

The Swedish striker has scored six times in five appearances against Spurs, grabbing braces on two occasions, though only one of these games saw him face van de Ven, with the Dutchman absent for the other four fixtures.

When asked who his toughest opponent has been, the Dutchman highlighted Isak and the Sweden striker’s performance in Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Spurs in April 2024.

“The game we played against Newcastle, the one where I slipped, this game [Alexander] Isak was a different level,” he explained.

“At this point, I was like, ‘he’s a top-class player’. I knew he was top class but this game, I was like...[scoffs].

“He can run in behind, he can come onto the ball, he’s technical, he’s also really good with the ball, he’s fast, he has a top finish, at that point he was literally everywhere,” he added.

Isak scored two goals for the Magpies in that 4-0 win, with the 26-year-old going on to establish himself as one of the best strikers on the continent before his £125m move to Liverpool this summer.

The striker arrived at Liverpool alongside £116m signing Florian Wirtz, but the duo have failed to hit the ground running at Anfield, with their arrival coinciding with a period of difficult form for Arne Slot’s champions.

Meanwhile, van de Ven and Spurs have seen change come this season after the club appointed Thomas Frank to take over from Ange Postecoglou, though the club currently sit 11th after just six wins from 16 games.

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has revealed that members of the Spurs squad implored manager Ange Postecoglou to change tactics towards the end of their successful Europa League campaign last season.

Spurs won their first trophy in 17 years under Postecoglou with a win a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final back in May, though the Australian was subsequently sacked after steering the club to a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Postecoglou’s tactics repeatedly came under scrutiny during his time in north London, with Spurs sometimes criticised for seemingly not being able to sit back and defend draws or leads.

And Van de Ven agreed that Spurs “didn’t really have a Plan B” sometimes, with the players consistently “getting exposed” as they “didn’t really have solutions”.

“In games where we were 1-0 up, we can’t keep playing our football, sometimes we need to just sit back, make sure no one comes through us,” explained Van de Ven on the Overlap.

“Me and Cuti [Cristian Romero] were playing only the Europa League games last season. At one point, we just walked up to the gaffer and said that we need to change some things and play more defensive sometimes, we need to make sure we win those games,” added the Dutchman.

“We played away at Frankfurt and were 1-0 up, and we can’t keep attacking, we just need to come back and have a low block and make sure we go to the next round,” he explained.

“We sat with him and he agreed with us on some things and he said, ‘I expect you two guys to sort this on the pitch – to make sure that this is something everybody knows’, and to speak with everybody on the pitch.

“In the meetings, he said that we were going to change some things sometimes in different situations. He said to me and Cuti personally, ‘You guys make sure the other guys listen to you, you have a reputation in the team, everybody respects you and knows how important you guys are, so make sure the guys follow what we say on the pitch.’”

Spurs eventually beat Frankfurt 1-0 away to seal a 2-1 win in the quarter-final of the Europa League, and they went on to beat Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals before the final against United in Bilbao.

When asked about the mentality and tactics going into that game, Van de Ven explained: “We spoke with Ange before the final, everybody knew that we need to win a trophy, it doesn’t matter how we’re going to do it.

“Even then Ange said at the beginning that we need to play from the back and do what we always do, but when it came to half-time and we were 1-0 up, Ange just said: ‘Keep pressing but when it doesn’t work out just drop back and make sure we lock it, make sure they don’t come through.’”

Spurs ran out 1-0 winners at the San Mames, courtesy of a goal from Brennan Johnson, though the result was not enough for Postecoglou to keep his job.

Despite this, Van de Ven was complimentary of his former boss, stating that he firmly believed in the tactics and system.

“When the results were getting down, Ange was really focused on his system, he really believed in his system, and to this day I believe in his system because I think we played some unbelievable football. So, the system works, but at some points I think we needed to adapt a bit more,” he added.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank expects to be given time to turn his side's problems around after insisting there is "no quick fix" following a 3-0 Premier League defeat at Nottingham Forest.

A costly mistake playing out from the back was punished by Callum Hudson-Odoi, who then scored with an overhit cross as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was caught out of position.

The forlorn Italy international could not do anything to keep out Ibrahim Sangare's wonder goal as Spurs put in a wretched performance and endured a desperate afternoon by the Trent.

The clouds had appeared to be lifting after a draw at Newcastle and wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague but this was as bad as it has been under Frank, who insisted things would not turn around overnight.

Asked if he would be given time to implement his idea, the Dane said: "I can't see why not. I think it's pretty evident that if no one gets the time, no one can turn this around. This is not a quick fix."

He added that, while he may appear cool, he is hiding a "hurricane" inside him.

"I do everything to control my emotions, which is a hurricane inside me, because, of course, it's deeply frustrating that we are not doing better today after three good performances," he said.

"I think it is extremely important to be calm and measured and of course, have very, very direct and clear messages at the right time, so they're not in doubt of what I think.

"I'm very honest about where we are as well. I was also very honest, today was a very bad performance, no two ways about that.

"But I also know that to change this will take some time. No one will want to hear about that. It's just reality.

"I think the ones who have followed the club and the team, I think it's fair to say there's been a few not too consistent performances and that's the thing. We are working very hard."

Frank did absolve hapless goalkeeper Vicario of any blame for the opening goal, even though his pass to Archie Gray put the Spurs midfielder under pressure.

"I think you see that every week in the Premier League and from every team all over the world," Frank added. "So, there's no problem with that.

"It is a classic thing you see week in, week out. A ball playing to one of the two sitters, bounce it up first touch, not take a touch.

"You learn from that, I'm pretty sure he will use one touch next time."

While Spurs put in a shocking performance, this was probably the best for Forest under new boss Sean Dyche, whose side moved five points clear of the drop zone.

"Overall, it was probably our best (performance) because of the balance of play," he said.

"When we had to defend, we did. When we could play, we did. When we had to clear our lines and do the basics, we did."

Dyche is usually pragmatic when his side scores, but even he allowed himself to celebrate Sangare's stunner, not that he admitted it.

"I'll have to look at that back," he joked. "I'll have to get the VAR to have a check on that. I'm disappointed in myself if I have got involved in that nonsense."

PA

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in