“VAR is a joke”, “You are worth every heart attack Tottenham” – Twitter explodes as 9-man Liverpool concede last-minute own goal to lose at Spurs
In a nerve-wracking encounter on September 30, Tottenham Hotspur secured a 2-1 win over Liverpool, who ended the match with just nine players on the field.
The Merseyside outfit began the Premier League contest at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on the front foot. They drew out an early double save from Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who thwarted attempts by Gakpo and Robertson. However, in the 26th minute, a VAR review upgraded a yellow card for Liverpool's Curtis Jones to a contentious red, following a high tackle on Yves Bissouma.
This pivotal moment appeared to be a turning point for Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham, who exploited their numerical advantage. They soon opened the scoring with a goal from Son Heung-min, just 10 minutes after the sending-off. Liverpool, however, drew level just before half-time, courtesy of a skillfully executed strike by Gakpo.
The second half of the match was equally gripping, further characterized by a disallowed goal from Luis Diaz due to a tight offside call. This will prove contentious, as lines were not drawn by VAR to show that the forward was indeed offside. Another goal from Son was disallowed, as he was also caught on the wrong side of the linesman's flag.
Things went from bad to worse for the Reds, as Diogo Jota was sent off in the 69th minute, receiving two yellow cards within a span of two minutes. This left Jurgen Klopp's men to hold down the fort on the field with just nine men. Despite being numerically inferior, the Reds displayed remarkable defensive fortitude, but it ultimately proved futile.
In a heart-wrenching conclusion for Liverpool fans, the match was decided in the dying moments of stoppage time. Joel Matip, in a desperate attempt to intercept a cross from Pedro Porro, inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net, handing Tottenham a dramatic 2-1 win.
Postecoglu's men will continue their unbeaten run to the season, while Jurgen Klopp's men have seen theirs end in north London.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the clash on Saturday:
As Tottenham sit in second, they will need to focus on their next match against relegation-threatened Luton Town on October 7. The Reds, on the other hand, will turn towards the UEFA Europa League where they will face Union Saint-Gilloise on October 5.