The night was supposed to be about momentum, resilience, and survival without a talisman. Instead, it became another chapter in Liverpool’s increasingly dramatic season. With Mohamed Salah already absent and pressure mounting, Alexander Isak briefly delivered exactly what was needed—before misfortune struck again. Under the watch of Arne Slot, Liverpool emerged victorious in north London, but the cost may yet prove significant.
Against Tottenham, Liverpool showed grit and attacking promise, yet left the pitch with fresh worries that threaten to overshadow three precious points. The Reds arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seeking continuity. Confidence had begun to return after a bleak spell earlier in the season, but the task was complicated by the absence of Salah, who had departed for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt.
The opening half was tense and cautious until a reckless challenge changed the game. Xavi Simons’ studs-up lunge on Virgil van Dijk resulted in a VAR-upgraded red card, leaving Tottenham with ten men before the interval. It was a turning point Liverpool hoped to exploit. Slot acted decisively at half-time, introducing Isak for the injured Conor Bradley. What followed was both the perfect illustration of the Swede’s potential—and the cruel reality of his spell at Anfield so far.
Just 11 minutes into the second half, the visitors finally broke through. A sweeping move involving Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike released Isak, who timed his run to perfection and finished clinically from close range. It was only his third goal in all competitions since his British-record move, a moment that should have signaled lift-off.
Instead, celebration barely arrived. As Isak struck the ball, Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven slid across, catching the striker’s ankle in the act of scoring. Isak immediately went down, barely acknowledging the goal. After a brief treatment, he limped off, replaced by Jeremie Frimpong. Scoring while getting injured summed up Isak’s Liverpool journey so far—promise interrupted by pain.
Liverpool pushed on, but unease lingered
Liverpool doubled its advantage soon after, with Ekitike heading home his fifth goal in four appearances to seemingly put the contest to bed. Yet even with a numerical advantage, nerves crept in. Richarlison’s late strike reduced the deficit, and only Cristian Romero’s stoppage-time red card ensured Spurs’ comeback hopes were extinguished.
The 2-1 win lifted Liverpool to fifth in the table and extended their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions. On paper, it was progress. In reality, concern dominated the post-match conversation.
What did Arne Slot say about Isak?
After the match, Arne Slot addressed the situation surrounding Isak’s injury—and his words did little to ease anxiety. “If a player scores and then gets injured and doesn’t come back on the pitch, that’s usually not a good thing,” Slot admitted.
He added cautiously: “We’ll have to wait and see. It is too short after the game to speak about it, but it is never good when a player has to come off.” The Dutch manager also revealed he had yet to speak directly with Isak, conceding that his assessment was based purely on instinct rather than medical confirmation.
Alexander Isak of Liverpool scores his team’s first goal whilst under pressure from Micky van de Ven of Tottenham
The injury could hardly have come at a worse moment. With Salah set to miss several weeks due to AFCON, the Reds’ attacking depth is already under strain. Losing Isak—even temporarily—would leave Slot heavily reliant on Ekitike, who has been in excellent form but cannot shoulder the burden alone. This was meant to be Isak’s window to assert himself, to justify the extraordinary fee paid to bring him to Anfield. Instead, uncertainty returns.
