Second-half strikes from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory for Arne Slot’s Liverpool over nine-man Tottenham, extending the Reds’ winning run to three matches.
The scoreline failed to capture the chaos of a wild Premier League clash in north London, which saw Spurs have Xavi Simons and later captain Cristian Romero sent off as they slipped to a fifth home defeat of the campaign.
The match swung decisively in Liverpool’s favour after 33 minutes when Simons was dismissed for a reckless studs-up challenge on Virgil van Dijk’s Achilles.
Referee Brooks initially produced a yellow card, but VAR intervened and upgraded the punishment to red.
Tottenham’s problems deepened after the break as Liverpool finally made their numerical advantage count.
Isak broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, drilling home after a quick counter sparked by Romero’s misplaced pass that ricocheted off Alexis Mac Allister.
The goal, however, came at a cost, as Isak was injured in the act of scoring following a challenge from Micky van de Ven and was forced off moments later.
Liverpool did not relent. In the 66th minute, Ekitike rose above Romero to head in Jeremie Frimpong’s deflected cross, claiming his 11th goal of the season and seemingly putting the contest beyond reach.
Tottenham, though, found late belief. Substitutes Brennan Johnson, João Palhinha and Richarlison injected urgency, and Richarlison pulled one back in the 83rd minute, scuffing home from a corner to set up a tense finale.
Any hopes of a comeback were dashed in stoppage time when Romero lost his composure, kicking out at Ibrahima Konaté after Richarlison had been denied by the Liverpool defender.
The Spurs captain was shown a straight red card, compounding a miserable night for the hosts, who have now lost five of their last eight league matches under Thomas Frank.
Earlier, Spurs had enjoyed promising spells before the first dismissal. Randal Kolo Muani went close twice, while Pedro Porro and Djed Spence combined to create openings that ultimately went begging.
Liverpool had also threatened, with Van Dijk forcing a routine save from Guglielmo Vicario.
Despite pressure on both managers following recent results, Liverpool arrived unbeaten since November 30, with off-field distractions firmly behind them. Slot’s decision to introduce Isak at half-time proved decisive, while Ekitike once again underlined his importance to the Reds’ attack.
In the end, discipline proved Tottenham’s undoing, as Liverpool held firm to claim a hard-earned and eventful victory.
