Tottenham 2 Liverpool 1: Matip’s 96th-minute own goal hands Spurs win over NINE-MAN Reds after refereeing horror show
JOEL MATIP succeeded where Tottenham had failed by turning in the last-minute own goal that broke nine-man Liverpool’s resistance.
Jurgen Klopp’s mentality monsters were seconds away from another great escape after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were sent off in either half.
The Reds had twice defied their red-card mania this season, beating both Newcastle and Wolves a player down.
If they had come away from this match with a point, it would have felt like another win.
But the home fans took the roof off when Matip turned Pedro Porro’s late cross into his own net.
Liverpool could make an argument for Jones’ red card — for a challenge on Yves Bissouma reviewed by VAR — being harsh.
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They had an even stronger case that VAR should have ruled Luis Diaz onside moments later.
But Jota could have no complaints. The second-half substitute was shown two yellow cards in 86 seconds for cynical fouls on Destiny Udogie and left his team to play for more than 20 minutes with two fewer players.
Last season, it was the Portugal striker who grabbed a last-gasp winner for the Reds in an amazing 4-3 triumph at Anfield. This time the tables were turned in a way that was a tribute to Tottenham’s own mental strength.
Two weeks earlier, they had scored twice deep into stoppage time against Sheffield United to preserve their unbeaten start to the season.
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In the build-up, Ange Postecoglou had been quizzed about being a Liverpool fan as a kid.
The Spurs boss gave some colourful detail but made it clear that the Kenny Dalglish posters had come down from his walls many years ago, along with images of The Fonz from Happy Days.
The popular series from the 1970s and 1980s was all about bringing back warm memories of a previous ‘golden age’ in history.
That is essentially what Klopp and Postecoglou were asked to do at their respective clubs. And this was another small but important step forward for Tottenham.
For the neutral purist’s point of view, the first red card spoilt what had been a compelling, even game.
From kick-off both sides were on the front foot, with Mo Salah and Richarlison the focus of attacking intent. But the first big chance came down Liverpool’s left.
A flowing move ended with Cody Gakpo forcing a save from Guglielmo Vicario, who regained his feet quickly to brilliantly block the follow-up by Andy Robertson.
However, the game turned on a 50-50 challenge.
Jones was lunging to reach the ball and got it but his follow-through carried him into Bissouma’s right shin with studs up.
Referee Simon Hooper initially showed a yellow card but did not take long to upgrade it after being summoned to the monitor by VAR Darren England.
The freeze-frame and slow-motion replay looked awful but the real-time footage suggested the midfielder was reckless rather than malicious, which is enough for a red card.
Spurs came on strong and had two decent chances before Liverpool put the ball in the net, only for Diaz to be ruled offside.
Despite Cristian Romero clearly playing him onside, VAR did not intervene this time.
Almost immediately Spurs took the lead as Son Heung-min converted Richarlison’s cross but Gakpo levelled five minutes into first-half injury time.
Virgil van Dijk knocked the ball down for his fellow Dutchman, who spun and smashed the ball through a group of Spurs players. Gakpo hurt himself in the process and was replaced at half time by Jota.
It was a positive substitution by Klopp but Tottenham did most of the attacking after the break and only Alisson stopped them regaining the lead. The keeper’s first save, from James Maddison’s curling effort, was excellent. The second, from Son, was even better.
Alisson’s remarkable stop from Miguel Almiron had proved crucial in his ten-man team’s stunning come-from-behind 2-1 stoppage-time win over Newcastle in August.
The question was whether Spurs could avoid a similar fate and turn their domination into victory.
Son thought he had a second goal but this time Richarlison was — unnecessarily — offside before crossing to him. Then came Jota’s moments of madness. Klopp cancelled plans to bring on Darwin Nunez and sent on three more defensive players for the Kop’s Mission: Improbable.
Tottenham found it harder against nine men than ten and were unable to force another big save from Alisson.
Hooper showed more yellow cards to both teams as time ticked down.
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Spurs were given six minutes of additional time to find a decisive goal.
And in the very last of them, Porro sent the ball across the penalty area and Matip smashed it in.
