Player Ratings: Second-Half Surge Seals 2-1 Victory for Liverpool Against Tottenham

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·20 December 2025

Player Ratings: Second-Half Surge Seals 2-1 Victory for Liverpool Against Tottenham

Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool: Reds Fight Back to Secure Victory

Liverpool continued their strong start to the 2025-26 season with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, overcoming a challenging first half to take all three points. The game, which saw Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike score within ten minutes of each other, proved to be a contest of contrasting halves. The first 45 minutes were forgettable, with both sides struggling to impose themselves, but Liverpool came alive in the second half to seize control.

Early Stages Lack Excitement

Tottenham Hotspur looked the brighter of the two teams in the opening exchanges, enjoying a majority of the possession and probing Liverpool’s back line. Spurs had the lion’s share of the ball early on but lacked the cutting edge to break down Liverpool’s defensive setup. The Reds, for their part, enjoyed their own chances and were looking to find the opener, but neither team could find a breakthrough before the break.

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In fact, the opening 30 minutes were characterised by a lack of cohesion in the final third for both sides. Spurs created some moments of promise, particularly through their wide players, but ultimately failed to trouble Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal. At the same time, Liverpool’s attacks were too disjointed to create clear-cut chances, with a lack of sharpness in the final pass and positioning.

Spurs’ Defensive Struggles

Despite their dominance in the first half, Tottenham’s defensive frailties would come back to haunt them after the break. Guglielmo Vicario had a particularly poor game, with his positioning for Isak’s opening goal being especially questionable. Standing still and failing to react to the cross, the Spurs goalkeeper allowed Isak to score with ease. A goalkeeper of Vicario’s calibre would have expected to do better, and his mistakes would contribute to Tottenham’s downfall.

Pedro Porro, typically a reliable attacking outlet for Spurs, was exposed by the skill of Florian Wirtz. The Spanish full-back was often beaten on the dribble and his crossing, once a strength, was off target for most of the game. Micky van de Ven had little to deal with in the first half but struggled against the physical presence of Isak, failing to prevent the Swedish striker from scoring. Cristian Romero, usually a rock at the back for Spurs, had a suspect display and was caught out for both goals, with his poor pass in the build-up to Isak’s opener underlining his defensive vulnerability.

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool, Premier League Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrating his goal to make it 0-2 during the Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England on 20 December 2025 Credit: Dylan Hepworth/Every Second Media Editorial use only. All images are copyright Every Second Media Limited. No images may be reproduced without prior permission. All rights reserved. Premier League and Football League images are subject to licensing agreements with Football DataCo Limited. see https://www.football-dataco.com Copyright: xIMAGO/EveryxSecondxMediax ESM-1717-0064 DylanxHepworthx/xEveryxSecondxMediax

Liverpool Respond in the Second Half

The second half saw a change in momentum, with Liverpool asserting themselves more and more as the game wore on. Isak opened the scoring in the 56th minute, converting a simple cross to put Liverpool ahead. The goal came after some sloppy defending from Tottenham, who failed to deal with the delivery, allowing Isak to find space in the box and finish confidently.

Ekitike doubled the Reds’ lead soon after, heading home a Frimpong cross to put the game out of Spurs’ reach. His performance was much improved in the second half, showing the kind of quality and composure that had been lacking in the first period. Ekitike was awarded the Man of the Match for his tireless work and clinical finish, taking full advantage of the chances created by his teammates.

Spurs Make Late Effort

Tottenham did not give up easily, and a late flurry of activity saw Richarlison score for Spurs. His effort was a timely reminder of what the Brazilian can offer, but ultimately it was too little, too late. Despite bringing on fresh legs in Brennan Johnson, Joao Palhinha, and Wilson Odobert, Tottenham were unable to find an equaliser, with Liverpool holding firm to secure the win.

Alisson Becker, though rarely troubled, remained alert throughout and made key interventions when needed. His passing range allowed Liverpool to control the game in the second half and provided the platform for the counter-attacks that led to their goals.

Player Ratings

GK: Guglielmo Vicario – 4/10Vicario was reliable when called upon but failed to react to both goals. His positioning for Isak’s opener was poor, and he should have done better with Ekitike’s header.
RB: Pedro Porro – 4/10Struggled defensively, particularly against Wirtz, and his deliveries were far off the mark.
CB: Micky van de Ven – 4/10Had little to deal with before Isak’s introduction but failed to deal with the Swedish striker’s physicality for the goal.
CB: Cristian Romero – 4/10Was exposed for both goals, with a poor pass leading to Isak’s opener. He was defensively weak for Ekitike’s header.
LB: Djed Spence – 7/10One of Spurs’ best performers, Spence was active on the left flank and combined well with Bergvall. He offered a constant attacking threat while also staying solid defensively.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur – 5/10Struggled to make an impact offensively and was shaky defensively, but he did battle hard in midfield.
CM: Archie Gray – 6/10A promising performance from the young midfielder, who was quick to recover the ball and launch attacks.
CAM: Lucas Bergvall – 6/10Bergvall found space but didn’t create much in the way of danger for Liverpool. He played in a floating role but struggled to impose himself on the game.
RW: Mohammed Kudus – 4/10A frustrating display from Kudus, who lacked urgency and failed to offer a consistent threat for Spurs.
ST: Randal Kolo Muani – 5/10Missed a couple of good opportunities and struggled to find the back of the net.
LW: Xavi Simons – 2/10Simons started brightly but faded out of the game before being sent off for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk.
Sub: Brennan Johnson – 3/10Barely had an impact after coming on, offering little threat on the right side.
Sub: Joao Palhinha – 4/10Made a minor contribution with an assist for Richarlison’s goal but wasn’t involved in the game otherwise.
Sub: Wilson Odobert – 4/10Added some energy but didn’t create much during his time on the pitch.
Sub: Richarlison – 5/10Made an impact after coming on, scoring Spurs’ lone goal but it was not enough to change the outcome.

LIVERPOOL

GK: Alisson Becker – 6/10Made some important saves and was sharp in his distribution. A steady presence at the back.
RB: Conor Bradley – 5/10Struggled defensively but made an important early block. Substituted at half-time after a difficult first half.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 6/10Dealt with Simons’ challenge and showed his leadership at the back, though his influence waned in the second half.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – 5/10Physically dominant against Kolo Muani, Konate was solid in the air but was not heavily tested.
LB: Milos Kerkez – 6/10Was involved in attacking down the left but couldn’t deliver quality crosses into the box.
CM: Ryan Gravenberch – 4/10A quiet game for Gravenberch, who lacked his usual sharpness and was hesitant in his passing.
CM: Curtis Jones – 6/10Played a crucial role as Liverpool’s most energetic player, but his efforts didn’t always bear fruit.
CAM: Alexis Mac Allister – 3/10Struggled to make an impact and appeared lost in the congested midfield battle.
RW: Dominik Szoboszlai – 6/10Filled in for the injured Mohamed Salah and was busy throughout, though he was moved to right-back in the second half.
ST: Hugo Ekitike – 7/10 (Man of the Match)Showed composure in the second half, scoring the decisive goal and offering more as the game progressed.
LW: Florian Wirtz – 6/10Was dangerous when picking up space but didn’t do enough to trouble Spurs’ defence.
Sub: Alexander Isak – 6/10Scored a brilliant goal after coming on at half-time and looked lively before being stretchered off due to injury.