Once again, Liverpool seem unable to do anything without raising concerns. Even victory feels unsettling at Anfield, as the lack of composure was evident against a weak Spurs side.
- Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool : Richarlison 83’ – Isak 56’ Ekitike 66’
In a match where Tottenham enjoyed most of the possession, very little happened inside either penalty area. Liverpool stayed disciplined defensively while Spurs tried to build play, but Kolo Muani failed to convert despite being left unmarked in the box. Then came the first major turning point: Xavi Simons was shown a red card. Following an overly aggressive and unnecessary tackle, the Dutchman was sent off after a VAR review overturned the initial yellow card.
Despite the numerical advantage, Liverpool struggled to find solutions, and at halftime Connor Bradley was forced off, replaced by Isak after the Northern Irishman picked up an injury following a collision with Spence. That enforced change paid off, as the Swedish striker broke the deadlock in the 56th minute. After a poor clearance from Romero, Wirtz recovered the ball and played Isak through, who scored his second league goal of the season and gave Wirtz his first statistical contribution (goal or assist). Unfortunately, Isak was injured in the same move after an awkward challenge from Van de Ven. Liverpool were on top, and Ekitike doubled the lead to make it 2–0. Frimpong’s cross found the Frenchman, who nodded home with a well-placed header.
Just when Liverpool seemed safe, Richarlison pulled one back to make it 2–1, scoring at the heart of a passive defense. Tottenham began to dream of a comeback, but Romero—already guilty of several poor decisions—completed his disastrous performance with a reckless foul that earned him a very foolish red card.
The scoreline stayed unchanged, and despite Tottenham’s late attempts to flood the box and the Reds’ inexplicable fear in the closing minutes, Liverpool held on for the win and climbed back up to fifth place in the standings.