Liverpool, Isak and a six-second glimpse of a £300m future cut short

 In a flash, the pieces finally clicked together.

It took less than six seconds for Liverpool’s £300m trio to rip through Tottenham’s 10 men after Cristian Romero’s careless pass from defence. Hugo Ekitike looked up and picked out Florian Wirtz, suddenly free in the space he has spent so much time trying to find. Wirtz took a touch and sensed the run immediately, producing the pass. And there was Alexander Isak, supplying the movement and the first-time finish, as well as the ruthlessness Liverpool wanted when they smashed their transfer record to sign him.

And then, like a window that closed as quickly as it had opened, a vision of Liverpool’s future disappeared.

Isak, upon scoring just his second Premier League goal since his record £125m move from Newcastle, was clattered into by Micky van de Ven as the Tottenham defender attempted the block. The striker’s face revealed the immediate concern, as did the sight of Liverpool’s players cutting their celebrations short. As soon as Isak had lift off, he was grounded again. On as a half-time substitute, he limped off 10 minutes later with an ankle injury that could sideline him for the foreseeable future.

Ekitike’s towering header to double Liverpool’s lead suggested the champions still have a goalscorer. Romero wanted a foul, and picked up his first yellow card for protesting. Ekitike only saw the ball. “It’s part of the game,” Ekitike said. “He is a defender, I’m a striker. I judged the cross better than he did.” Thomas Frank disagreed. In a game packed full of incidents, the Spurs boss felt Ekitike’s push on Romero was the biggest mistake the officials made. “I think there’s two clear hands on the back,” Frank said. “I don’t understand it.”

Ekitike’s fifth goal in three Premier League games ended up being decisive for Arne Slot’s side as they held on against the nine-man hosts, reduced in number first by Xavi Simons’s first-half red card, then further by Romero’s much later red for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate, but who rallied through Richarlison’s finish in between. “It looked like we were down to nine,” Slot said. “It was attack after attack after attack.”

Liverpool’s wastefulness in possession late on, and failure to exert their numerical advantage to see out a comfortable victory, hurt Slot. But he also saw a Liverpool side which continues to progress after a troubled season of change and false starts. They have now won three games in a row and there was another improved performance from Wirtz, who registered his first Premier League assist at long last. “It wasn’t perfect,” Slot admitted. “But the team is getting better.” The prospect of Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz working in tandem continuing that development, though, remains only a glimpse.

The reason Isak was called upon at half-time came down to Liverpool needing to exert more authority on a game that was passing them by until Simons’ straight-red card for catching Liverpool captain, and Simons’ Netherlands team-mate, Virgil van Dijk. Until then, Tottenham had been the better side, offering more threat than the visitors, but they found a way to condemn themselves to a club-record 11th home league defeat of 2025.

Simons’ challenge was, on one hand, brainless, with his raised studs catching Van Dijk on the calf, and on the other hand. unfortunately mistimed. In real time, and in the stadium, it did not feel overly forceful. But once you saw the replays and the frozen image of where his studs landed, and once John Brooks was sent to the pitchside monitor, the red card felt inevitable.

When it came and the replays were shown in the stadium to howls from the home supporters, they and Frank were united in their anger. A team and its fanbase that has so often felt disconnected at home became fuelled by its frustration. The Tottenham players who have taken to walking off at half-time as a team to display a sense of togetherness did so to the sound of boos. For once, the boos were not directed at them.

At the same time, Isak began his warm-up. He replaced right back Conor Bradley, who also limped off after clashing with team-mate Curtis Jones while attempting to stop Djed Spence in the box. Tottenham wanted a penalty but the foul went against Spence. But it cut Bradley’s evening short and gives Slot another fitness issue, to another injury-prone player, which the Dutchman has to deal with over the festive period.

And for Slot, that includes Isak as well. His disrupted spell since forcing through a move from Newcastle to Liverpool on deadline day could now include more injuries than goals. Ekitike will have to lead the line for a little while longer, but he appears to thrive with the responsibility.

How Liverpool ended up needing his goal on 66 minutes after Richarlison, improbably, pulled one back for Spurs with his latest goal against Liverpool. It sparked, improbably, a late surge. Even after captain Romero’s senseless kick at Konate, reducing Tottenham to nine, Liverpool required Alisson’s safe hands to deny Pedro Porro.

In that wild last period, Liverpool lacked control and composure. There was far too much drama for a game they should have seen out. They will now, also, be without the most expensive part of its new-look attack, just as it had fired into life.

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