Isak injury mars chaotic Liverpool victory and leaves Slot facing fresh concerns
It was supposed to be the night that finally ignited Alexander Isak’s Liverpool career.
The club’s £125 million signing came off the bench and produced a superb finish past Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to put Liverpool ahead, sparking wild celebrations on the touchline.
Manager Arne Slot was visibly delighted as Isak combined neatly with Florian Wirtz, whose assist marked his first in the Premier League since arriving for £116 million in the summer. With Mohamed Salah away on Africa Cup of Nations duty and Cody Gakpo sidelined through injury, it felt like a glimpse into Liverpool’s future and the first real sign of chemistry between the club’s two record signings.
Moments later, the mood shifted dramatically.
Isak injury
Isak went down in obvious pain following a challenge from Micky van de Ven and stayed on the turf as team mates gathered around him. It quickly became apparent that the striker could not continue.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Slot said afterwards. “But when a player scores, gets injured and cannot even try to return, that is usually not a good sign.”
For Liverpool, who are unbeaten in six matches and appeared to be building momentum, it was another setback in a season already defined by disruption. Isak now joins Conor Bradley on the injury list, further stretching a squad that has rarely enjoyed continuity.
Liverpool’s misfortune was summed up by a chaotic sequence of substitutions. Bradley was forced off at half time after taking a knock while challenging for the ball that led to Isak’s goal. On the hour, Isak himself was replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, making his first appearance since October.
Frimpong did not last the match either. In stoppage time he was replaced by Federico Chiesa, a move Slot later described as precautionary, insisting he did not want to risk finishing the game with 10 men. Even so, two of the players introduced from the bench were unable to see the match out.
Despite the disruption, Hugo Ekitike’s goal ultimately sealed another vital win. Yet Liverpool came perilously close to throwing it away against a Tottenham side reduced to nine men after red cards for Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero.
Jamie Redknapp described the closing stages on Sky Sports as “a masterclass on how not to manage the final 10 minutes”, a verdict Slot did not dispute.
“It’s unbelievable,” Slot said on BBC Match of the Day. “Against nine men, I would not be surprised if they had the ball for eight and a half minutes of the nine added on. That is not what you expect and maybe that shows where we are this season.
“We need a few more wins to become more comfortable dealing with setbacks. The last 10 minutes stay in your mind, but there was a lot to like in the first 80 or 90.”
The nervy finale echoed recent struggles. Just two weeks ago, Liverpool surrendered a two goal lead at Leeds and conceded a last gasp equaliser after regaining the advantage. This time, they clung on as Spurs threw everything forward, with Richarlison’s introduction in particular causing problems.
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During the closing stages, it was Liverpool who looked like the side playing with fewer men, a sharp contrast to the control they showed for much of last season.
“We didn’t keep the ball when we had it,” Slot admitted. “We gave it away, conceded free kicks, throw ins and corners. It became very chaotic and hectic.”
Chaotic and hectic has been a recurring theme for Liverpool this campaign. Still, after a grim spell that saw them lose nine of 12 matches, they head into Christmas level on points with Chelsea in fourth place.
“Overall, we had good control,” Slot said. “Six games unbeaten, four wins and two draws. We are not perfect yet, but both of our number nines scored. There are positives.”
There were positives, and Liverpool made it three wins in three. Yet once again, the match underlined how many questions still surround this side.
Right now, the biggest one is how long Alexander Isak will be missing.
