Dramatic Showdown at Tottenham: Liverpool's Late Misfortune gift Spurs Victory, Matip Heartbreaks with 96th-Minute Own Goal

In a thrilling Premier League match, Tottenham emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over a Liverpool team that had only nine players remaining on the field. Joel Matip's unfortunate own goal in the 96th minute shattered Liverpool's brave resistance and elevated Tottenham to second place in the standings, surpassing their rivals Arsenal. The impact of the goal left Liverpool's players devastated, with some lying flat on the ground and others in a state of despair. Matip received comforting words from goalkeeper Alisson, but the disappointment was evident as he unintentionally redirected Pedro Porro's last-minute cross into his own net.

The contrast was striking compared to the jubilant celebrations happening around them. Porro sprinted towards the corner, joining the ecstatic home fans in their celebration. It was another remarkable victory for Spurs, one to be cherished and remembered. This win was even more memorable than the previous home game against Sheffield United, where they secured three points with two goals in injury time. Ange Postecoglou was hailed and applauded at the end of the match. The new manager was already beloved for the positive impact he had made on the club.

For more than 20 minutes, Liverpool had defended against relentless Tottenham attacks with only nine players on the field. This was due to Jota receiving two rapid bookings, leading him to follow Curtis Jones to the dressing room.

During an eventful Saturday night match, the referee, Simon Hooper, made a significant decision that sparked considerable discussion. On the 26th minute, Hooper upgraded the yellow card he had initially shown to Jones, turning it into a red card.

Jones had engaged in a tackle with Yves Bissouma, where he managed to reach the ball first. However, his foot ended up rolling over the top of it, causing his studs to collide with the shin of the Spurs player. Upon reviewing the replays, Hooper deemed the incident to be severe, although his decision faced criticism from certain pundits.

Gary Neville commented that the situation appeared more severe than it truly was, explaining that the player's foot slipping was the cause and it did not warrant a red card. Jamie Redknapp expressed his disagreement, describing it as excessively severe.

In another instance, Liverpool faced another unfavorable decision when Luis Diaz's goal was disallowed due to offside. Adding insult to injury, Tottenham executed an impressive play, resulting in a goal scored by Heung-min Son (36). Richarlison came close to doubling the score, narrowly missing the far post.

Liverpool retaliated just before the end of the first half, as Cody Gakpo skillfully turned and scored to level the match, setting the stage for an exciting second half.

Alisson made two remarkable fingertip saves to keep Tottenham at bay early in the second half. However, when Son finally managed to beat him, the offside flag was raised once again.

How the drama unfolded...

In an arrangement resembling a 5-3-0 formation, the Reds, renowned for their impressive comebacks this season, believed they had executed their most daring performance yet. However, in the final moments, luck favored the Spurs.

This weekend's highly anticipated clash, as indicated by the headline, lived up to expectations, showcasing the exceptional form and playing style of both teams.

Liverpool started the game strongly, putting pressure on Guglielmo Vicario who made a fantastic double-save from Cody Gakpo and Andy Robertson. However, everything changed in the 26th minute.

Initially, Jones received a yellow card for his tackle which left Bissouma in pain on the ground. Yet, when referee Simon Hooper reviewed the replays on the pitchside monitor, he saw that the Liverpool midfielder's boot had rolled over the ball and his studs had made contact with his opponent's shin.

Jones received a red card for his actions, much to the disapproval of the Tottenham fans, who expressed their dissatisfaction when the incriminating images were displayed on the large screen. Despite Neville's sympathy towards Jones, it is clear that the challenge he made would have been difficult to escape punishment for, regardless of his intention.

Liverpool believed they had taken the lead shortly after the 30-minute mark, even with one player down, when Diaz clinically converted. However, their celebrations were cut short as the offside flag was raised and VAR determined that Diaz had moved too early. With no visible lines on the VAR replays, this decision was open to debate.

Spurs were the ones to break the deadlock within two minutes. Their playing style under Postecoglou was evident in the way James Maddison skillfully passed the ball to Richarlison, who then set up Son to score his sixth goal of the season.

As the first half came to a close, Richarlison narrowly missed making it two for Spurs, with his shot hitting the post. However, it was Liverpool who would deliver a significant blow just before halftime.

Dominik Szoboszlai delivered a cross in the closing moments of the first half injury-time, which was skillfully headed down by Virgil van Dijk. Donyell Malen swiftly turned and successfully scored, despite sustaining an injury in the process. However, he was unable to continue playing in the second half. Despite this setback, his goal managed to equalize the scoreline.

Remarkably, Liverpool had a golden opportunity to take the lead right before halftime, as Diaz narrowly missed connecting with a low cross in the box during the dying seconds of the period.

In the beginning of the second half, there was additional excitement at the same end when Alisson displayed remarkable agility, making two consecutive remarkable saves to prevent Maddison and Son from scoring. Eventually, in the 59th minute, he was bested when Spurs replicated their previous goal-scoring maneuver. However, this time, Richarlison was clearly in an offside position, resulting in the raised flag.

Just ten minutes later, there was another red card. Jota was booked for clipping Udogie while he was breaking away in central midfield, followed by a second yellow one minute and 27 seconds later. On this occasion, he lunged with a slide tackle at the defender again as he tried to pull away. Although both instances of contact were minimal, the second action was particularly foolish given the circumstances. Neville described it as "stupidity."

Despite being down to ten players, Liverpool remained a threat on the counter. However, with two players missing, they were forced back into their own box, although Spurs failed to take advantage of the open spaces on the pitch. They struggled to create any significant chances. The away fans expressed their satisfaction with the relatively short six minutes of added time. However, it was in the fifth of those six minutes that Spurs finally managed to break through, with the unfortunate Matip contributing to their goal.

The celebrations will be treasured by Spurs supporters, players and their manager, who has had a magical start to his tenure. But for Liverpool there was plenty to discuss…

Klopp on the controversial moments

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke to us about the Jones red card incident and stated, "In regards to the first red card, Curtis inadvertently stepped on the ball, causing his fall. It was not a malicious tackle. The incident appears more severe when viewed in slow motion. Curtis accidentally placed excessive pressure on the ball, resulting in his fall. It was merely an unfortunate occurrence."

Regarding the Jota red card: "The initial yellow card shown to Diogo Jota was unjustified. Subsequently, he received a second yellow card, leaving us with only nine players to defend, which posed a challenge."

Regarding Diaz's disallowed goal: "The disallowed goal due to offside was a result of incorrect line drawing. Upon closer inspection, it is evident that the ball was positioned between Mo's legs, and the moment when Mo passed the ball was not taken into consideration. Dealing with such circumstances is incredibly difficult."

Regarding his team's performance, the speaker expressed immense pride, stating that they had never felt prouder than they did on that day. They emphasized that the circumstances of the game were severely unfair and the decisions made were incredibly irrational. Despite scoring an own goal, which was undoubtedly difficult to accept, the speaker remained exceptionally proud. They emphasized the importance of having players with a strong and resilient mindset in order to build something substantial, and they witnessed this mentality firsthand from their team during the game. Overall, the speaker described the night as being quite extraordinary.

Redknapp: Liverpool goal was onside

We, Jamie Redknapp, believe that it is evident to everyone watching from home that the goal was indeed onside. This situation raises concerns about how many other instances they have incorrectly judged, such as the positioning of shirt lines or lengths. It is crucial for the game to be as clear-cut as possible, especially regarding disallowed goals like this one. In this particular case, they have made a mistake by a significant margin, which does not bode well for their credibility.

What's next?

Liverpool's upcoming match at Anfield against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League is scheduled for Thursday at 8pm.

They are back in Premier League action on Sunday October 8 when they travel to Brighton, live on We; kick-off 2pm.

Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool

Saturday 30th September 5:00pm

Up next for Spurs is a trip to Kenilworth Road to face Luton on October 7; kick-off 12.30pm.