Arne Slot has branded the challenge by Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven on Liverpool striker Alexander Isak as "reckless"
TOPSHOT - Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (C) gets injured in a challenge with Tottenham Hotspur's Dutch defender #37 Micky van de Ven as he scores the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Alexander Isak was seriously injured after a challenge Micky van de Ven when scoring Liverpool's opening goal in Saturday's 2-1 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur
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Arne Slot has slammed the "reckless challenge" by Micky van de Ven he believes guaranteed Alexander Isak serious injury at the weekend. Isak is expected to be sidelined for a number of months after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury that included a fractured fibula having been caught by Van de Ven in the process of scoring the opener in the 2-1 Premier League win at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
While Tottenham had both Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero dismissed during a volatile match - the former for catching Virgil van Dijk on the calf - Van de Ven escaped censure from the match officials.
And Liverpool boss Slot said on Tuesday: "Yeah, (Isak's injury) was a reckless challenge.
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"I've said a lot about the tackle of Xavi Simons, which for me was completely unintentional. I don't think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that.
"But the tackle of Van de Ven, if you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a serious chance the player gets a serious injury."
Isak's goal was only his second in the Premier League since arriving for a British record £125million from Newcastle United on deadline day in September, with the Sweden international having struggled with form and fitness having been forced to train alone during pre-season before moving to Anfield.
And Slot said: "It has been a really challenging and difficult period for him. He joined a new club, he was very excited and you want to show immediately all the qualities that you have.
“But that was simply impossible. Maybe no-one understands but if you have not trained for three or four months on a serious level with the team and you are playing in this league when you need to be on top of your game to impact a game of football and that took, as we all knew, months before we could bring him there because there was no pre-season just games, games, games and no time to train.
"We always knew it would take him time and that is why he is so unlucky that he is now injured because we all saw with his goal at West Ham, with this goal, that he got closer and closer to the player he was last season at Newcastle.”
Liverpool return to action at home to rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
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