The Empire of The Kop

Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six matches and climbed back into the top five of the Premier League table at the weekend, but their latest victory came at a massive cost.

The 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur has been overshadowed by news of a suspected broken leg for Alexander Isak, who was on the receiving end of a wild challenge from Micky van de Ven in scoring the opening goal on Saturday.

The Swedish striker had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes, having replaced Conor Bradley at half-time after an injury scare for the right-back.

Rather than counting the number of days left until Christmas, Arne Slot is left totting up how many players he’ll be without for the fixture against Wolves at Anfield next Saturday.

Liverpool injury list and expected comeback dates

Florian Wirtz: The German appeared to be feeling his hamstring as he was substituted in stoppage time on Saturday, with Trey Nyoni duly coming on for a very brief Premier League debut. However, the change appeared to be precautionary, and the 22-year-old could be cleared to face Wolves next weekend, as per The Standard.

Cody Gakpo: The Dutch forward has been sidelined for our last three matches since suffering a muscle injury in the 3-3 draw at Leeds earlier this month. While his issue isn’t as serious as first feared, he’s looking at an early January return, possibly in the New Year’s Day fixture against the Whites.

Wataru Endo: The Japanese midfielder is currently laid low with an ankle injury, with Slot indicating that our number 3 will be out of action for a few weeks. The earliest we can expect to see him involved once again would appear to be sometime in January.

Joe Gomez: The defender was forced off just 25 minutes into the recent win over Brighton with an unspecified injury. Slot ruled him out for the Spurs game, and it remains unclear exactly when the 28-year-old will be passed fit to return to action.

Conor Bradley: The right-back went off at half-time against Spurs after appearing to tweak his hamstring while pursuing Djed Spence. No projected comeback date has been cited, but it’s hoped that the 22-year-old isn’t seriously injured.

Alexander Isak: The striker has suffered a suspected broken leg after Van de Ven’s challenge on Saturday. If those fears are confirmed, he’ll be sidelined for several months, and his season would almost certainly be over.

Giovanni Leoni: Three months have now elapsed since the defender suffered a horrific ACL injury on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. Slot hinted that the teenager could be out for a full year, so it could be September 2026 before he returns.

Liverpool heavily depleted going into Wolves clash

At least Wirtz and Gakpo aren’t long-term casualties, while we remain hopeful that Gomez and Bradley might be back before long, but the injury list is nonetheless frightening for Slot.

On top of the stricken septet, Mo Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Dominik Szoboszlai will miss the Wolves game through suspension after picking up a fifth Premier League booking this season for apparent dissent towards a typically provocative Richarlison on Saturday.

It means that, at the time of writing, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa are the only senior attackers definitely available for Liverpool’s next match, and that’s assuming they don’t suffer any setbacks themselves in the coming days.

Rio Ngumoha may duly find increased responsibility thrust upon his 17-year-old shoulders during the festive period and into January, and while the youngster has shown that he’s a phenomenal talent, Slot will also be wary of asking too much of him at such a tender age.

Forget the presents; all the LFC head coach wants for Christmas is a reduced injury list for the Wolves match next weekend.

Liverpool have been dealt a sickening blow with the news that Alexander Isak has suffered a suspected broken leg, and the manner in which it arose has left one journalist fuming.

On Sunday night, it emerged from reports by Paul Joyce in The Times and David Ornstein for The Athletic that the 26-year-old is set for a lengthy injury layoff after being on the receiving end of a wild challenge from Micky van de Ven in scoring the Reds’ opener against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

There were seven yellow cards and two reds dished out by John Brooks in that fixture, and although the Dutch defender was one of those booked, it wasn’t for the tackle which has now had serious consequences for the Sweden international.

Journalist fumes over lack of sanction for Van de Ven

As the news of a suspected leg break for Isak emerged late last night, Liverpool-focused journalist David Lynch was left seething at how the Spurs centre-back got away unpunished for his challenge on our number 9.

The reporter posted on X: ‘There’s an unwritten rule in football that, if an attacker gets a shot away, the defender is given carte blanche to challenge them how they like. That was a really poor and late one from Micky van de Ven yesterday and this is the consequence, yet it wasn’t looked at.’

Isak now faces a long road to recovery as Van de Ven unpunished

Lynch raises a quite pertinent point in the wake of Isak’s devastating injury blow, and Frank Leboeuf on ESPN FC also called for the Spurs defender to receive some punishment because of the repercussions of his wild lunge.

Liverpool fans have drawn parallels between that incident on Saturday and Jordan Pickford’s cowardly tackle on Virgil van Dijk in October 2020, an atrocity for which the Everton goalkeeper went unpunished as the passage of play was rendered moot by the Dutchman being offside in the build-up.

Footballers are obliged to show a duty of care to one another on the pitch, and when a player makes a leg-breaking challenge, they shouldn’t get off scot-free because of a technicality or a misplaced belief that the incident is deemed irrelevant because of a goal being scored, as was the case on Saturday.

We don’t want to advocate a witch hunt against Van de Ven, who may well be feeling huge remorse over his lunge on Isak, but at the same time it’s not right that he’ll get to play in Spurs’ next match and Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended against Wolves because his fifth booking of the Premier League season was for apparent dissent after childish provocation by Richarlison.

Lynch and Leboeuf are right to be appalled over the lack of any sanction for the perpetrator in this incident, with Liverpool’s number 9 now facing a long road to recovery because of one reckless action for which the culprit will bear no punishment.

We can only wish the Swedish striker well in his convalesence over the next few months, and his eventual return to the pitch will be a welcome sight whenever it happens.

Liverpool’s post-Spurs momentum has quietly created space for something rarely afforded in the modern Premier League calendar, with Virgil van Dijk offering insight into a decision that says plenty about where we are heading.

The Reds followed up a hard-earned 2-1 win away at Tottenham Hotspur by being granted Christmas Day off, a call made by Arne Slot as reported by BBC Sport.

For a squad used to festive fixtures, travel and training, the Liverpool captain made it clear just how unusual the moment feels.

“We have Christmas Day off which is very nice of the staff,” Van Dijk said. “It’s a nice change.”

The Dutch centre-back admitted it was something he had never experienced before during his time at Anfield.

“I don’t think it’s happened in my Premier League career so far,” the 34-year-old added. “I’ll make the most of being with my family and enjoy it all.”

Van Dijk reflects on Liverpool progress after Spurs win

The timing of the break feels earned given our recent run, with Liverpool now unbeaten in six and climbing back into the top-five conversation.

Saturday’s win in north London was far from perfect, something former striker John Aldridge made clear when assessing how we finished the game despite Spurs being reduced to nine men.

That criticism, however, is unlikely to trouble the No.4 too much as Liverpool continue to pick up results while improving under the former Feyenoord coach.

Van Dijk also confirmed he spoke to Xavi Simons after the red-card challenge, saying: “I don’t think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and the referee and the VAR made the decision.”

Van Dijk sets Liverpool focus ahead of Wolves clash

With Wolves next up at Anfield on December 27, the skipper insisted the mindset remains clear.

“The aim is to try to win every game ahead of us,” he said. “All we can try to do is get better.”

Controversy also lingered after the match, with Thomas Frank questioning whether Hugo Ekitike should have been penalised in the build-up to our second goal, a decision that ultimately stood.

For Van Dijk, though, the immediate priority is balance.

A rare Christmas at home, a squad slowly stabilising, and a chance for us to reset before pushing on again at Anfield.

Liverpool’s narrow win in north London may have delivered three points, but post-match reaction suggests the performance itself is already being scrutinised from within our own ranks.

Arne Slot’s side edged past Tottenham 2-1 to move level on points with Chelsea in the Premier League table, yet the closing stages raised uncomfortable questions about control and game management.

Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge was quick to highlight those concerns, posting his reaction on X, despite acknowledging the importance of the result.

“Well folks that’s were we are atm,” Aldridge wrote. “Who had 9 men in the last 10 mins?? it looked like it was us!!”

Liverpool concerns raised despite deserved win

well folks that's were we are atm !!who had 9 men in the last 10 mins ??it looked like it was us!!

don't get me wrong we'll take the result all day but that's not good enough for me sorry if you don't agree.Lots and lots of work to be done to get in the top 4😩🙏YNWA

— John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) December 20, 2025

The opening 85 minutes told a very different story, with Liverpool largely dominant, structured and deserving of a two-goal lead.

The breakthrough came through a flowing move involving Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, with the Swede finishing clinically before being forced off injured.

That combination had looked promising in the early stages of the second half and looked like a weapon that would continue to cause havoc, had it not been for our No.9’s unfortunate exit.

Ekitike’s header shortly after was fully deserved, giving the French forward his eighth non-penalty goal of the league campaign, a tally only Erling Haaland has bettered so far.

However, the introduction of Richarlison shifted the momentum, and suddenly memories of previous late collapses began to creep into the contest.

“We’ll take the result all day but that’s not good enough for me,” Aldridge added. “Lots and lots of work to be done to get in the top 4.”

Liverpool game management questioned late on

The finale became chaotic, with Tottenham reduced to nine men yet still creating enough pressure to test our resolve.

Liverpool have now seen opponents receive four red cards in the league this season, more than any other side, yet the inability to fully kill off games remains a talking point.

It also framed the context around Thomas Frank’s complaints about Ekitike’s goal, with the Spurs boss claiming: “That’s unbelievable, it’s a huge mistake,” over the decision to allow it to stand.

Equally, Match of the Day analysis pointed elsewhere, with Joe Hart stating Spurs “totally lost control”, particularly during an incident involving Milos Kerkez late on.

This was a match Liverpool controlled for long spells, deserved to win, but very nearly complicated unnecessarily.

Aldridge’s comments may feel harsh, but they underline a truth this squad will need to address if we are to turn wins like this into something more sustainable over the course of the season.

Liverpool’s latest Premier League win has once again placed the spotlight firmly on officiating decisions, with post-match reaction ensuring the discussion will not be going away any time soon.

Arne Slot’s side left north London with a 2-1 victory, extending our strong run of results, but it was Hugo Ekitike’s decisive second-half header that dominated the narrative after the final whistle.

Speaking via Sky Sports, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank was visibly frustrated that the goal was allowed to stand, describing the decision as a turning point in the contest.

Frank criticises officials after Liverpool winner

The Dane argued that Ekitike committed a foul in the build-up, insisting the officials failed to intervene despite VAR being available.

“That’s unbelievable, it’s a huge mistake,” Frank said. “It’s two hands in the back from Ekitike. I don’t understand how he can’t see it.”

The incident looked like a classic aerial duel, with the French forward simply wanting the ball more, and it was telling that Gary Neville stated on co-commentary that “it is not a foul”.

The referee made his call in real time and, crucially, there was not enough in the challenge for VAR to overturn it either way, making it one of those decisions that often depends entirely on the on-field view.

Frank also felt the situation contributed directly to Cristian Romero’s reaction moments later, which ultimately led to the defender receiving a first of two yellow cards, during an already volatile finale.

Frank reaction distracts from Spurs indiscipline

While the focus remained on Ekitike, Tottenham’s discipline again proved costly, with Xavi Simons earlier seeing red for his challenge on Virgil van Dijk, leaving the hosts fighting an uphill battle.

It was another night where Spurs lost control, echoing sentiments shared elsewhere after the game, including Joe Hart’s strong criticism of late incidents involving Milos Kerkez that went unmentioned by the Tottenham boss.

Ekitike himself summed up the tone of the match succinctly, describing the contest as crossing a line when he said: “That wasn’t football,” while reflecting on the physical nature of the encounter.

Joe Hart was equally blunt on Match of the Day, stating: “They just totally lost control,” when assessing Spurs’ behaviour during the closing stages.

With Liverpool now having seen opponents receive four red cards this league season, more than any other side, we’ve often been on the receiving end of some rough-hand tactics.

Frank may feel aggrieved, but this was a tough decision rather than a “huge mistake”, and one that ultimately came down to desire, timing and strength in the air rather than controversy.

Hugo Ekitike had one complaint to get off his chest despite maintaining his excellent goalscoring form for Liverpool on Saturday evening.

Having scored four goals across his previous two Premier League games, the Frenchman was on the scoresheet yet again tonight with a looping header in the 66th minute against Tottenham Hotspur, which ultimately proved to be the winner for Arne Slot’s side.

The champions had to withstand a frenzied finish after Richarlison halved the deficit late on, with flashpoints plenty and two red cards for the home team (a nasty challenge by Xavi Simons on Virgil van Dijk, and a petulant kick by Cristian Romero on Ibrahima Konate).

Ekitike: “That wasn’t football”

As he reflected on a third consecutive victory for Liverpool, Ekitike – whose neck was grabbed by Richarlison while he was face-down on the ground – seemed taken aback by the brutality of the contest in north London, which he likened to a proverbial ‘war’ at times.

The 23-year-old told Sky Sports after the game: “It was very physical today. 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.”

Liverpool prevail after a night of niggly brutality in north London

To say that referee John Brooks was kept busy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be an understatement.

Even though the referee awarded just 16 free kicks across the night, he brandished no fewer than eight yellow cards in addition to the two reds he showed to Simons and Romero. One of those bookings has triggered a suspension for Dominik Szoboszlai against Wolves next weekend.

A match which was often lacking in quality (especially in the first half) was rife with niggly fouls and altercations, and Ekitike isn’t wrong in bemoaning how it unfolded as a spectacle, even if the result went Liverpool’s way.

The win has come at a cost, though, with the aforementioned ban for the Hungarian midfielder and the injury to Alexander Isak in scoring the Reds’ opener as he was caught by a lunge from Micky van de Ven, while Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz also appeared to be in discomfort prior to their substitutions.

There wasn’t much in the way of Christmas spirit in that particular area of north London tonight, but thankfully LFC have an early present to enjoy as they venture back to Merseyside.

Arne Slot provided a candid explanation for why he substituted Jeremie Frimpong in the closing minutes of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.

Returning to the matchday squad after two months out with a hamstring injury, the 25-year-old came on for Alexander Isak – who hobbled off with a knock of his own in scoring the Reds’ first goal of the game – just 15 minutes after the Swede had been introduced for Conor Bradley.

The bizarre link of substitutitons continued just as stoppage time began, with the Netherlands international being withdrawn for Federico Chiesa after being involved in an angry altercation with Richarlison, who’d caught him with a stray arm.

Slot explains Frimpong substitution

Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Slot hinted that he was worried about losing Frimpong to a petulant red card, given the right-back’s visible fury after the clash with Spurs’ number 9 (whose antics after his goal were despicable).

The Liverpool head coach explained (via Sky Sports): “Jeremie has no [injury] problem. I didn’t want to go down to 10 men for 30 seconds. I adapted to that. I knew there wasn’t long to play. We are picking up points and that’s the main thing.”

Slot right to act before Frimpong did anything reckless

Slot has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to make ruthless substitutions if he senses danger, and he was right to act for fear that a riled-up Frimpong would commit a silly act which’d earn him a red card and suspension.

Spurs had Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off for petulant acts of their own in a bad-tempered game which saw John Brooks issue eight yellow cards and two reds, and a needless ban is the last thing the Reds need right now.

We’ve already lost Dominik Szoboszlai for the Wolves match next Saturday due to suspension, and we face a nervous wait on the extent of Isak’s injury, on top of Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo already being sidelined and Mo Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking on co-commentary for Sky Sports, Gary Neville commended Slot’s proactivity in substituting Frimpong as he said: “His head has gone. Slot has made the right decision. There is no doubt he could do something rash.”

With so many Liverpool players already out of contention to face Rob Edwards’ side next weekend, let’s be glad that our Dutch right-back didn’t do anything stupid to get himself added to that list.

When Richarlison plays against Liverpool, you can be sure that he’ll get himself into the thick of the action somehow.

The Tottenham Hotspur forward infamously whipped out his pigeon celebration after a stoppage time equaliser at Anfield in April 2023, only for the late Diogo Jota to immediately score the winner at the other end of the pitch, earning him a cheeky social media dig from Jamie Carragher.

The ex-Everton man was summoned from the bench with Spurs trailing 2-0 to Arne Slot’s side this evening with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, and inevitably he was heavily involved.

Within three minutes of his introduction, Richarlison pounced on a loose ball in the Liverpool penalty area after the Reds failed to clear from a corner kick, with the goal setting up what might be lightly described as a grandstand finish in north London.

Richarlison antics trigger Szoboszlai suspension

In ‘celebrating’ his strike, the 28-year-old pushed Hugo Ekitike in the back of the neck with the French striker lying face-down on the ground, before then running to Dominik Szoboszlai and shouting in the Hungarian’s face.

Incredulously, our number 8 was booked by John Brooks, and it was his fifth yellow card in the Premier League this season. It means that he’ll now be suspended for our match against Wolves next Saturday, far from ideal when we’re already deprived of several other key players.

Mo Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Cody Gakpo, Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez had already been sidelined with injury. Conor Bradley appeared to take a knock shortly before half-time tonight, and Alexander Isak was forced off after being caught by Micky van de Ven in scoring our first goal.

Totally needless and shameful from Richarlison

We know that Richarlison has more than a bit of history with Liverpool – his weird comments about Virgil van Dijk and his childish social media antics after our Champions League final defeat in 2022 are evidence of that.

Even still, his actions immediately after scoring tonight were reprehensible. Why be so antagonistic towards Ekitike and Szoboszlai when you could just run straight back to the centre circle and get on with the game, at a time when the Reds were suddenly reeling?

The Brazil international still managed to get himself booked for having too much to say to Brooks at the full-time whistle (surprise, surprise…), but his provocative actions after scoring have contributed towards our number 8 being suspended next week for a nonexistent offence.

At least Liverpool had the last laugh on Richarlison after coming away with a 2-1 victory to move into the top five of the Premier League for a couple of hours at a minimum.

You can view Richarlison’s antics after his goal below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

Alexander Isak must be beginning to think that if he didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.

The Liverpool striker came off the bench at half-time against Tottenham Hotspur in place of Conor Bradley, with Arne Slot partnering him and Hugo Ekitike as he sought to take advantage of Xavi Simons’ earlier red card.

The £125m signing opened the scoring in north London 10 minutes into the second half as he latched onto a Florian Wirtz and emphatically dispatched the ball beyond Guglielmo Vicario for just his third goal of the season.

Unfortunately, as he went to shoot, Isak was caught by a late challenge from Micky van de Ven and needed treatment on the pitch before hobbling off to be replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, with the Swedish striker’s involvement curtailed at fewer than 15 minutes.

Neville sympathises with Isak after cruel injury blow

Speaking on co-commentary for Sky Sports, Gary Neville felt considerably sympathy for Liverpool’s number 9, who’s already had injury and fitness issues since his transfer from Newcastle at the end of the summer.

The ex-Manchester United player lamented: “That is a sad sight for Isak. The could have been his lift-off moment, but he has picked up an injury.”

Isak injury comes at a rotten time for Liverpool

The body blow for the Sweden international could hardly have come at a worse time, with the Reds’ attack already depleted with Cody Gakpo sidelined and Mo Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The festive period was shaping up to be fertile ground for Isak to get plenty of minutes on the pitch, which is just what he needs in order to repay his substantial transfer fee, but the luckless 26-year-old wasn’t even able to celebrate his crucial opener against Spurs tonight.

Once this game is over, thoughts will immediately turn to the severity of the striker’s injury and how many games he might miss for Liverpool during the winter.

It’s just as well that the Reds have Ekitike in such prolific form, with the Frenchman doubling our lead 10 minutes after his teammate broke the deadlock, and we better pray that he doesn’t suffer any setbacks of his own, considering how few forwards we could have available in upcoming matches.

Fingers crossed that Isak hasn’t suffered a lengthy injury – he could really do with Lady Luck smiling on him for once after a hugely character-testing few months.

You can view Isak’s goal against Spurs below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

Liverpool were handed a huge incentive just after the half-hour mark of their clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday after a red card for Xavi Simons.

The Netherlands international was initially booked for catching compatriot Virgil van Dijk on the back of the calf with studs showing, but after being summoned to the pitchside VAR monitor, John Brooks changed the colour of the card and Spurs were duly left with 10 players.

It was a nasty foul by the 22-year-old, who could have few complaints about the decision, although plenty of the home fans in north London aired their grievances as he made his way off the pitch.

What did Gravenberch do to Simons after red card?

In providing updates for Sky Sports‘ live web commentary on the match, Peter Smith noticed the immediate reaction of Ryan Gravenberch towards Simons after the red card incident.

The reporter noted: “Spurs fans are fuming as a replay of the incident goes out on the big screen, but it’s a clear red card. Meanwhile, Simons gets a high five off his compatriot Gravenberch as he walks off… he should be apologising to his teammates instead.”

Simons only has himself to blame

While the Liverpool midfielder may have tried to be somewhat supportive to his Netherlands international colleague after the dismissal, he won’t have been thanking Simons for the crude challenge on the Reds captain, which could’ve done serious damage to the 34-year-old.

Those are the kind of challenges that footballers hate – off the ground, from behind and with studs showing. Thomas Frank may have been fuming on the touchline, but when he watches it back later, he’ll realise that Spurs’ number 7 can have nobody to blame but himself.

It was the major talking point of a first half which was largely devoid of quality or goalmouth incident, in stark contrast to the two league meetings between the teams last season (6-3 and 5-1 wins for Liverpool).

Arne Slot won’t have been overly impressed with his side’s performance before half-time, but with Simons rightly banished to the dressing room, the Premier League champions have a real opportunity to make their numerical advantage count and leave north London with all three points at the time of writing.

You can view the red card incident below, via @SkySportsPL on X: