Alexander Isak only needed 14 minutes on the pitch to make a turning point, before leaving the game injured in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Tottenham. The Kop have now risen to fifth place in the Premier League table.
After a goalless but tense first half, Tottenham fell at a disadvantage from the 30th minute when Xavi Simons was sent off after a rough tackle on Virgil van Dijk. Initially, it was just a yellow card, but VAR forced referee John Brooks to show a direct red card, forcing the home team to play with one less player for more than an hour.
In the second half, coach Arne Slot brought Isak on and this decision immediately took effect. In the 56th minute, the Swedish striker finished neatly from Florian Wirtz's assist, opening the score for Liverpool. However, Isak was fouled by Micky van de Ven and injured, forcing him to leave the pitch just a few minutes after scoring.
The advantage was further doubled in the 66th minute, when Hugo Ekitike jumped high and headed the ball from Jeremie Frimpong's cross, putting Liverpool ahead 2-0. Tottenham rose strongly late in the match and narrowed the gap thanks to Richarlison's goal, 7 minutes before the end of the match.
The extra minutes saw drama culminate, but all of Spurs' hopes came to an end when Cristian Romero received a second yellow card after a controversy with Ibrahima Konate. Playing with 9 men, Tottenham could not make any difference, accepting defeat at home.
This victory helped Liverpool continue to chase the group to participate in the European Cup, even though they had to pay the price with Isak's injury - a £ 125 million contract expected to play a key role in the remaining period of the season.
Difficult start
That was the moment Isak's career at Liverpool was fully summarized up to this point. A calm finish helped the visitors take the lead - a familiar image when he was playing for Newcastle United - followed by a painful leave of field after a strong collision with Micky van de Ven, most likely related to a knee.
That was a harsh end to an evening that could have opened a positive turning point in the 26-year-old striker's troubled campaign. Isak's goal against Tottenham was only Isak's second Premier League goal since he moved to Anfield for £125m. This is a controversial deal in the context of him constantly struggling with injuries and instability in form.
Isak's continued bench presence shows that Slot does not really believe he is capable of leading Liverpool's attack regularly. However, his short time on the pitch - especially his intelligent coordination with Florian Wirtz - has revealed signs that Isak could still be an important link if he finds his best form.
At this time, Liverpool can only wait for the results of the medical examination in a worried state. With Mohamed Salah on duty at the AFCON and Cody Gakpo absent due to injury, any further losses in attack are something Slot does not want.
"I don't have any information about him yet, but if a player has just scored and is injured and can't return to the field, it's usually not a good sign.
That is just personal feelings, there are no medical conclusions. I haven't spoken to him either. The positive thing is that Isak scored. It was a beautiful goal, with a very good assist from Florian Wirtz" - Slot said after the match.
