Joel Matip’s own goal deep into stoppage time gave Tottenham Hotspur victory over nine-man Liverpool in an eventful and contentious Premier League encounter.
The Reds were compromised by two controversial red cards, the first given to Curtis Jones for a foul on Yves Bissouma after just 26 minutes following a VAR intervention, before half-time substitute Diogo Jota followed him down the tunnel with more than 20 minutes remaining after picking up a quickfire double booking.
In a game in which the Reds were clearly nursing a sense of injustice, they had an opening goal by Luis Diaz ruled out by another controversial VAR decision, as the officials quickly ruled the Colombian offside without showing the customary offside line graphics.
Captain Son Heung-min then slid Spurs in front from Richarlison’s pass nine minutes prior to half-time following good work from summer signing James Maddison.
But the visitors responded with an equaliser in first-half stoppage time when Cody Gakpo scored on the turn from Virgil van Dijk’s header down, but the Netherlands forward was injured in the act of scoring and did not come out for the second half.
Spurs, understandably, had the better chances in the second half and Liverpool keeper Alisson kept the Reds on terms with outstanding saves from Maddison and Son, and it looked like their resolute rearguard would earn them a battling draw until the drama of the final seconds.
As Spurs mounted one last attack, Matip could only turn Pedro Porro’s cross high past the helpsless Alisson to spark scenes of jubilation and relief among the home support, inflicting Liverpool’s first defeat of the season and maintaining manager Ange Postecoglou’s unbeaten Premier League record.
