Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-1 as nine-man Spurs fight to the end

Liverpool moved into a pursuit of European football with a 2-1 Premier League victory over Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, a match that finished with Spurs reduced to nine men after two late red cards. The Reds, without Mo Salah who is with Egypt for AFCON, took the lead through Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, while Richarlison struck late for Spurs to set up a frantic finale. The result leaves Liverpool within striking distance of the top puestos while Tottenham endured a feverish afternoon that featured both a red card and a forced reshuffle.

Tottenham were reduced to 10 men when Xavi Simons was dismissed for a challenge described as a "leg breaker" on Virgil van Dijk, triggering a stormy second half. The first half unfolded at a cautious pace, with opportunities at a premium, and the atmosphere around the stadium intensified after the interval as Liverpool seized the initiative and moved ahead. The game never settled back to calm after Simons's exit, with both sides swapping blows amid a flurry of tackles and heightened emotion.

Isak struck for Liverpool in the 57th minute, firing home after a build-up down the right. The visitors doubled the lead 10 minutes later when Hugo Ekitike finished clinically from inside the area, and it looked like Liverpool had taken control of the match. Tottenham refused to capitulate, and Richarlison provided a spark for the home side when he latched onto a miskick from Virgil van Dijk to finish past the goalkeeper in the 83rd minute, setting up a tense finale as Spurs pressed for a deserved equaliser. The drama peaked when Cristian Romero was shown a second yellow card late on, leaving Tottenham to finish with nine men and in a fight to salvage a point.

Tottenham manager Frank (name as reported) spoke after the match about the challenges his side faced and the mentality shown by his players. "I'm extremely proud of the players and the team. I think they gave everything and showed unbelievable mentality and worked very hard on how to deal with setbacks," he said. "The first red is something I don't like, because I don't think it's reckless or exceptional force. We had the referee's call and that was a yellow, which is why I disagreed with the decision. We stayed in the game, kept going, scored a very good goal for 2-1 and kept fighting. Then there was the second yellow to Cuti [Romero], and I felt the game shifted." The Spurs boss also noted the challenge of maintaining composure under pressure as the match wore on.

Liverpool's bench and press box carried a mixed mood as the game wound down. The club’s staff confirmed there would be updates on Isak and Conor Bradley in the hours after the final whistle, with Jurgen Klopp stressing that the squad would have a week to regroup ahead of the next fixture. "We have a week to go until the next match, so hopefully we have enough players available to play next week again," Klopp said, adding that it was too soon to discuss the extent of any injuries but acknowledging the concern around Isak's situation.

There was a notable absence for Liverpool in the stands as Salah watched from afar while he remains with Egypt for AFCON duties. The absence drew little pre-match speculation, with the focus instead on the on-pitch drama and the implications for both sides in the table. Klopp described the week ahead as an opportunity to recover and reimagine plans for a busy period as the Reds chased momentum, while Tottenham faced the task of turning a gripping, albeit costly, performance into sustained results amid a congested schedule.

The match featured several moments that underscored the intensity of a crowded fixture list at this stage of the season. Isak's opener and Ekitike's second were clinical finishes that underscored Liverpool's efficiency when chances arrived, while Richarlison's late strike showcased Spurs' willingness to push back even with a numerical disadvantage. The red cards were a defining feature of the encounter, shaping the closing stages and ensuring both teams left with important takeaways rather than clean sheets. In the aftermath, analysis will likely focus on the decisions that altered the flow of the match and the impact of suspensions on Tottenham's prospects in the short term.

[![Liverpool action](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/12/20/18/104909129-0-image-m-25_1766256875919.jpg