Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Nine-man Spurs fall at home as Frank fumes over red cards

Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Monday night, with Tottenham reduced to nine men after Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons were sent off. The result left Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool unbeaten in six and climbing to fifth in the Premier League table, while Spurs suffered another home defeat that extended their calendar-year tally to a club record.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring for Spurs but was taken off with an injury after his goal, while Conor Bradley also picked up a knock in the first half.

Simons was sent off in the first half for a late challenge on Virgil van Dijk. Tottenham manager Thomas Frank questioned the decision, saying it was not reckless and not a piece of obvious force. "He's chasing Van Dijk and changes direction and unfortunately his foot is on his achilles," Frank said. "We're not allowed to have physical contact anymore and he gets three games. That is absolutely wrong and we probably can't appeal that." Simons later apologized on social media: "Mistakes happen. Virg is my captain. I would never intentionally hurt him or anyone. To my Spurs teammates, my manager and the fans, I take responsibility. I'm really sorry."

Romero's dismissal came after he was booked for a protest, then shown a second yellow for retaliation following a foul by Ibrahima Konaté late in the game. Frank added that Romero's second yellow was harsh and questioned the officiating, saying: "Two hands in the back. Clear two hands in the back. I don't understand how you can do that. Everywhere else you have seen that a thousand times out there on the pitch, someone will go up for a header, a goal kick into the centre-back, two hands in the back 'boom' foul. But apparently not in the penalty box. I think that was the biggest mistake in my opinion and from VAR but apparently that was not enough."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he would wait for more information on Isak's injury but stressed patience as his rebuilt side continues to develop after changes in the summer. "The players are getting better, the team is getting better. It wasn't perfect but we will keep pushing and see the team developing as we would like to see," Slot said. "Maybe when we made so many changes in the summer we would need time."

The result keeps Liverpool's trajectory upward as they chase a top-four place, while Tottenham's issues at home persist. Frank's frustration after a chaotic night in London underscored a season of inconsistencies for a Spurs side still adjusting to new leadership and a disrupted roster.