Liverpool's victory over Tottenham should have been a turning point, a moment of pure triumph. Alexander Isak, the club's record £125 million signing, finally seemed to be finding his form, slotting home a beautiful goal after coming off the bench. Imagine the elation on Arne Slot's face as he watched Isak link up with fellow summer signing Florian Wirtz (£116 million), who notched his first Premier League assist! With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo sidelined with injury, this felt like a tantalizing glimpse into Liverpool's future, a connection sparking between two of the team's biggest investments.
But here’s where the dream turned into a nightmare. Just seconds after that goal, Isak was writhing in pain after a tackle from Micky van de Ven. The initial joy evaporated, replaced by a palpable sense of dread as Isak's teammates gathered around him. It quickly became clear he couldn't continue. "We'll have to wait and see," a concerned Slot stated, adding ominously, "But if a player scores and then gets injured and doesn't try to come back on the pitch, that's usually not a good thing." The implication was clear: this could be a significant setback.
And this is the part most people miss: it wasn't just Isak. While Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six games, the injury woes are piling up for Arne Slot. Conor Bradley also suffered a knock and was taken off at halftime. The sheer bad luck was almost comical: Bradley was subbed off for Isak due to injury, only for Isak himself to be replaced by Jeremie Frimpong (making his first appearance since October) an hour later. Then, incredibly, Frimpong couldn't finish the game either, being substituted himself in the 90th minute for Federico Chiesa! Slot insisted Frimpong was fine, merely not wanting to risk playing the final seconds with ten men. Still, the statistic is damning: two players brought on as substitutes failed to complete the match.
Hugo Ekitike's goal ultimately secured the win, but the victory felt precarious. Liverpool almost squandered it against a nine-man Tottenham side (Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero both received red cards). "A masterclass on how not to manage the final 10 minutes," Jamie Redknapp quipped on Sky Sports. Even Slot admitted the final stages were far from ideal. "It's unbelievable if you play against nine men that I would not be surprised if for the nine minutes of added time, they had the ball for eight and a half. That is not what you expect and maybe that tells you where we are in this season," Slot lamented. He acknowledged the need for more wins to build resilience against setbacks, focusing on the positives of the first 80-90 minutes while admitting the last 10 haunted him.
This isn't the first time Liverpool have shown late-game fragility. Remember just a fortnight ago when they threw away a two-goal lead at Leeds, only to concede an injury-time equalizer after briefly retaking the lead? In London, they barely clung on as Spurs threw everything at them, particularly after the introduction of Richarlison. It was almost surreal; in the closing stages, Liverpool looked like they were the team with fewer players on the pitch – a stark contrast to the commanding performances they often displayed last season. "We didn't keep the ball when we had the ball. We kicked it away, they got a few free-kicks, a few throw-ins, corners. It became very chaotic and hectic," Slot explained.
Chaotic and hectic certainly sums up much of Liverpool's season so far. But they can take some comfort from the fact that, after a difficult run, they'll head into Christmas level on points with Chelsea, who currently sit fourth. "Overall, we had good control over the game," Slot maintained. "Six games unbeaten, four wins and two draws. We are definitely not perfect yet but both of our number nines scored. Again, positives to take from the game." Three wins in a row is undeniably positive, but this match highlighted the numerous unanswered questions surrounding this Liverpool side.
The biggest question right now, of course, is the severity of Isak's injury and how long he'll be out. But beyond that, do these late-game collapses point to a deeper issue with squad depth, tactical flexibility, or simply a lack of composure under pressure? Some might argue Slot needs more time to implement his vision. Others might suggest the squad needs significant reinforcements in January. But here's where it gets controversial: Could it be that Liverpool's recent success has masked underlying vulnerabilities that are now being exposed? What do you think? Is it time to panic, or is this simply a temporary blip on the road to recovery? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
