Tottenham’s absolutely rotten home form continues after Liverpool earned a 2-1 win over Thomas Frank’s side to move level on points with Chelsea in fourth and pile the pressure on the Danish manager.
Xavi Simons was shown a straight red card 33 minutes into the action after VAR judged his reckless challenge to be worth more than the yellow he initially received from referee John Brooks. They were correct.
Ten men Spurs held onto the 56th minute when British record signing Alexander Isak scored his second Premier League goal of the season. Unfortunately for the striker, he was injured in the process and was forced off.
Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s lead ten minutes later, and it was looking like Arne Slot’s side were on their way to a routine win. Richarlison had other ideas, however, scoring just three minutes after coming on.
Spurs piled on the pressure, but Cristian Romero’s second yellow card took the wind out of their sails, and Liverpool held on to secure the win.
Arne Slot has turned it around
Remember when Liverpool were in complete crisis? Everything was awful and Slot was fighting for his job? Well, three consecutive wins appear to have eased the pressure on the Dutchman, for now at least.
It may not have been an entirely convincing win over a struggling Tottenham, but success breeds further success, and a positive result against another ‘big six’ club in the Premier League will do Liverpool’s confidence a world of good.
A relatively kind run of games heading into the new year, in which they face bottom placed Wolves, Leeds (again), and Fulham should see them continue to push for the top four, and perhaps beyond. We can never truly rule anything out in the Premier League.
Thomas Frank is on thin ice
Another home loss means Tottenham have won just 17 points in front of their own fans since November 2024, the worst record in the Premier League. Of course, that’s not entirely Frank’s fault, but the honeymoon period is well and truly over, now they’ve entered grounds for potential divorce.
Spurs fans were once again making their feelings known throughout and after the game, booing the players and even the red card decision. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is beyond toxic, and when it gets this bad, there is only usually one outcome.
It’s not all doom and gloom though! Tottenham are just 16 points off last season’s total, with 21 games to play, so, if Frank does end up having a word with the club’s higher-ups any time soon, he can point to that.
That’s what £250m(ish) gets you
Florian Wirtz and Isak offered Liverpool fans a glimpse of what should have been when they combined for the first goal. The German was alert when Tottenham needless gave the ball away in midfield, sending a lovely through ball into Isak, who scored with a signature finish.
This was easily Wirtz’s best Premier Leaguer performance, ending his game having completed the most dribbles (4), created two chances, and 104 touches. Slot will be hoping the apparent knock he took in the final minutes of the game isn’t anything too serious.
As for Isak, his bad luck continues. The striker was forced off, visibly distraught as he was helped by Liverpool’s medical team, due to Micky van de Ven’s challenge in the build-up to his goal. It remains to be seen just how serious it is, but it could be a real momentum killer.