In a match surrounded by controversy, Liverpool, reduced to nine players, suffered a 2-1 defeat with Joël Matip’s own goal coming in almost the final moments.
This loss marked the end of their unbeaten start to the league season. Motivated by the prospect of securing the top spot in the table, Liverpool aggressively started the game in North London. Despite creating excellent opportunities, both Cody Gakpo and Andy Robertson were denied by Spurs’ goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
The Reds’ misfortune deepened when Curtis Jones, initially shown a yellow card for a high challenge on Yves Bissouma, was later given a red card after a VAR review. The severity of the challenge elicited an audible gasp from the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when replayed on the big screen. Undeterred, Liverpool believed they had taken the lead as Luis Díaz found the net, but the assistant referee’s flag, backed by VAR without the usual offside lines shown on TV, disallowed the goal.
Unluckily for Liverpool, they fell behind as James Maddison’s precise pass allowed Richarlison to set up Heung-min Son for a goal. However, Liverpool managed to level the score before halftime when Virgil van Dijk’s header from a free-kick was converted by Gakpo.
Spurs dominated the second h
alf, creating several chances, with Alisson making an impressive save from Maddison’s curling shot. Both teams had goals disallowed for offside.
With 20 minutes left, Diogo Jota received two yellow cards in quick succession, reducing Liverpool to nine players. Despite valiant defending, Liverpool’s efforts were in vain as Matip’s own goal in the dying moments handed Spurs the victory. This result brought Spurs within one point of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings after City’s earlier slip-up against Wolves. It was a bitterly disappointing end to a day that Liverpool will want to erase from memory quickly.