Liverpool held their nerve to escape north London with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham in a night that descended into chaos, as Spurs finished with nine men and pushed the visitors to the brink in a frantic finale.
The match initially appeared to be tilting firmly Liverpool’s way. An early red card for Xavi Simons, shown after a VAR review for a studs-up challenge on Virgil van Dijk, left Tottenham facing an uphill task before the break. Liverpool took advantage, with Alexander Isak firing home after linking with Florian Wirtz, only for the striker to limp off shortly afterwards following a knock to his ankle.
Despite Spurs’ numerical disadvantage, the contest never fully settled. Tottenham threatened an equaliser when Randal Kolo Muani’s deflected effort looped over Alisson and struck the crossbar, briefly lifting the home crowd. That moment passed, and Liverpool strengthened their grip on the game when Hugo Ekitike powered in a header to double the lead.
What followed, though, was far from comfortable. Memories of Liverpool’s recent failure to close out games resurfaced as Spurs refused to fold. With time running out, Richarlison punished a defensive lapse by Van Dijk to reduce the deficit and ignite belief around the stadium. Within moments, the Brazilian went close to striking again, only for Ibrahima Konate to throw himself in the way of a goalbound effort.
The tension escalated further in stoppage time when Cristian Romero was dismissed for kicking out at Konate during a heated exchange, leaving Spurs with nine players as they chased an unlikely equaliser. Even then, Liverpool were not safe, with Wilson Odobert forcing Alisson into a full-stretch save with virtually the last action of the match.
The final whistle brought relief rather than celebration for Liverpool, who climb to fifth despite concerns over their ability to manage games when ahead and the injury to Isak. For Tottenham, the defeat extends a difficult home run and sets an unwanted milestone, marking their 11th league loss of the calendar year, even as their supporters acknowledged the spirit shown in adversity.
