‘On the brink’ – National media assess Liverpool’s tense win at Tottenham

 

 

Liverpool stretched their unbeaten run to six matches with a tense 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday night, but the result was overshadowed by chaos, controversy and fresh injury fears.

Spurs imploded midway through the first half when Xavi Simons was sent off for raking his studs down Virgil van Dijk’s Achilles. Things worsened for the hosts when Cristian Romero, already on a booking, was dismissed for kicking out at Ibrahima Konaté, leaving Tottenham with just nine men.

Despite the numerical advantage, Liverpool still had to dig deep. Goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike put Arne Slot’s side two goals clear, but Richarlison’s late strike turned a comfortable evening into a nervy finale as Thomas Frank’s nine-man team pushed until the end.

The match was frenetic, ill-tempered and littered with cards, with referee John Brooks dishing out eight yellows alongside the three red cards. VAR played a key role in upgrading Simons’ initial yellow to a straight red for serious foul play.

Much of the post-match discussion focused on Alexander Isak, whose night summed up Liverpool’s mixed emotions. The striker scored just 11 minutes after coming on at half-time, but was injured in the act of finishing and was later helped off the pitch, sparking fears of a potentially serious knee or ankle problem. National writers described the moment as cruel, with Isak’s brief cameo producing both a vital goal and major concern for Liverpool’s season.

While pundits praised the sharp attacking move involving Isak, Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, there was also criticism. Liverpool nearly lost control again after conceding late, continuing a worrying pattern of struggling to protect two-goal leads. Even against nine men, the Reds looked vulnerable, prompting Jamie Redknapp to label the closing stages “a masterclass in how not to manage the final 10 minutes.”

In the end, Liverpool held on by the narrowest of margins. The win lifted them up the table and marked a third straight victory, but it was far from convincing. As several observers noted, it was an important result that felt more like relief than real progress.