sad news: joel matip has score own goal and tottenham take the lead 2-1..

Liverpool look devastated, as you’d expect after such a coolly heroic defensive performance. They had 10 men for 40 minutes and nine for the last 20 after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were sent off, though you wouldn’t necessarily have known it.

Son put Spurs ahead before Cody Gakpo equalised on the stroke of half time (and injured himself in the process). Alisson made two superb saves early in the second half, but Spurs created nothing after Liverpool went down to nine men – until the 96th minute, when Joel Matip slammed Pedro Porro’s cross into his own net.

19.31 BST

Full time: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool

Spurs jump above Arsenal and Liverpool into second place after an emotional victory over nine-man Liverpool.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Man City 7 12 18
2 Tottenham Hotspur 7 9 17
3 Arsenal 7 9 17
4 Liverpool 7 9 16
5 Aston Villa 7 7 15
19.30 BST

90+6 min Veliz has been booked for something or other.

19.30 BST

It’s a cruel moment for Joel Matip, who has been immaculate all night. The goal came because Spurs finally got somebody free in a wide area. Romero found Porro, who belted a hopeful low cross into the six-yard box. Matip, well positioned at the near post, tried to put it behind for a corner but sliced it high into the net.

19.29 BST

GOAL! Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool (Matip 90+6 og)

Spurs have stolen it!

Joel Matip scores an own goal
Joel Matip wins it for Spurs!
Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images
19.27 BST

90+5 min Alisson is booked for timewasting.

19.27 BST

90+4 min Kulusevski curls a cross well wide, prompting groans from the home fans.

19.27 BST

90+4 min More impatient attacking from Spurs, more calm defence from Liverpool. They’ve been excellent.

19.25 BST

90+2 min Porro’s very deep cross is headed straight at Alisson by RIcharlison. He saw it late, so it wasn’t much of a chance.

19.24 BST

90+1 min As things stand Liverpool are second, a point behind Manchester City, with Spurs in fourth.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Man City 7 12 18
2 Liverpool 7 10 17
3 Arsenal 7 9 17
4 Tottenham Hotspur 7 8 15
5 Aston Villa 7 7 15
19.23 BST

90 min Six minutes of added time.

19.23 BST

90 min: Spurs substitution x2 Alejo Veliz, a young Argentinian forward, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replace James Maddison and Yves Bissouma.

19.22 BST

89 min Maddison’s mishit shot from 20 yards is blocked, then Romero is booked for fouling Szoboszlai.

19.21 BST

88 min Bissouma is booked for flattening Endo. Spurs have been weirdly tentative since Liverpool went down to nine men.

19.19 BST

87 min Robertson is booked for a foul on Porro.

19.19 BST

86 min Bissouma’s long-range shot hits Richarlison and spins through to Alisson. Jose Mourinho would be proud of this defensive performance from Liverpool.

19.18 BST

86 min “The ref is handing this game to Tottenham on a silver platter,” writes Kevin Bruch. “Those challenges by Jota were run-of-the-mill fouls, the first I would even argue was accidental. Never a yellow. Jones was really unlucky to have his foot roll over the ball, if it didn’t, would he have been endangering the opponent? I don’t think that was a clear and obvious error by the ref. I also don’t share your faith in offside technology. Diaz looked onside, why do we need to examine it until he isn’t? The game should have been about two great teams going toe to toe, instead the ref has blown it.”

You forgot to tell us which team you support.

19.17 BST

85 min Spurs’ passing has been far too narrow since Liverpool went down to nine. At the moment they don’t look like scoring.

19.16 BST

84 min “Liverpool are revolutionising the false nine,” says Peter Oh. “They’ve got nine men who play like ten or eleven.”

It’s starting to resemble Arsene Wenger’s two great Arsenal sides, who were almost more dangerous with 10 men than 11.

19.15 BST

83 min: Double substitution for Spurs Ben Davies and Oliver Skipp replace Pape Sarr and the excellent Destiny Udogie.

19.14 BST

81 min Solomon plays a good ball to the underlapping Maddison, who wins a corner off Matip. It’s taken short – of course it is – and worked from one side to the other and then back. Eventually Liverpool clear.

19.13 BST

80 min Now Solomon’s shot deflects behind for a corner. Before it’s taken, Ryan Gravenberch replaces Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool.

19.12 BST

79 min Porro’s off-target shot deflects behind for yet another Spurs corner. It’s taken short and worked back to Porro, whose cross is headed away by Van Dijk. Liverpool are doing really well here.

19.11 BST

78 min Imagine how bulletproof Liverpool will feel if they win this.

19.10 BST

77 min With Son off the field and Kane in Germany, Spurs are looking to Maddison for inspiration. At the moment they’re struggling to create anything, and Porro’s cross on the turn is comfortably held by Alisson.

19.09 BST

75 min Alexander-Arnold’s outswinging corner is headed well wide of the near post by Van Dijk. A quarter chance.

19.08 BST

75 min Alexander-Arnold wins a corner for Liverpool, who have actually been reasonably comfortable since going down to nine men.

19.07 BST

73 min: Triple substitution for Liverpool Wataru Endo, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate replace Mo Salah, Joe Gomez and Luis Diaz. That means a switch to 5-3-0, with none of their five brilliant forwards on the field.

19.06 BST

73 min Weirdly, the last time Liverpool were down to nine men was against Spurs in 2011.

Tottenham sink nine-man Liverpool and Emmanuel Adebayor hits a double
Read more
19.05 BST

71 min Darwin Nunez was about to come on, but there’s a change of plan now. The current formation is 4-4-0 with Salah on the right.

19.04 BST

70 min The second yellow card was fair enough, and a really silly tackle from Jota. The first was unfortunate though. Udogie ran away from Jota and brushed Jota’s knee in his running stride; that knocked one leg against the other, forcing him to fall over.

19.03 BST

Diogo Jota is sent off!

69 min Oh my word. Moments after an unfortunate first booking, Jota lunges at Udogie and is given a second yellow card. Liverpool are down to nine men.

Jota is sent off
Jota receives his marching orders. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
19.02 BST

69 min: Spurs substitution Manor Solomon replaces Son Heung-min, who must be feeling the injury that made him a doubt for this game. Richarlison will move up front.

19.01 BST

68 min Jota is booked for tripping Udogie, though it was completely accidental.

19.00 BST

67 min Liverpool are also carrying a threat on the break. This time Porro makes a vital sliding tackle on Salah, who had slipped Sarr and was heading towards the Spurs area.

19.00 BST

66 min One Spurs corner leads to another. They’ve been very dominant in the second half, but Liverpool are defending with such determination.

18.58 BST

64 min Salah breaks upfield, all on his own, and is brilliantly dispossessed by Bissouma. A foul is then given against Salah – a bit soft, in truth – and he’s booked for kicking the ball away.

Mo Salah can’t get past Yves Bissouma.
Mo Salah can’t get past Yves Bissouma. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
18.57 BST

63 min A poor ball from Alisson goes straight to Richarlison on the left. Gomez bounces off him, allowing Richarlison to drive a cross that is cleared by Van Dijk on the six-yard line.

18.55 BST

61 min: Fine defending from Gomez! Spurs worked a short corner on the left, with Bissouma eventually finding Udogie near the byline. His low cross towards Sarr is very well cut out by Gomez at the front post.

18.53 BST

59 min: Spurs have a goal disallowed! It was almost identical to their first goal: Maddison to Richarlison, who was offside, and a cutback that was turned in by either Son or Matip at the near post. The eye-of-a-needle pass from Maddison was gorgeous.

18.51 BST

58 min Udogie finds himself in the centre-forward position, prompting the other left-back Robertson to sprint across and make an important tackle. Sarr collects the loose ball and leathers a shot straight at Alisson from 25 yards.

18.50 BST

57 min If Liverpool win this, on the back of the Newcastle game, they’ll feel invincible.

18.49 BST

55 min A better spell for Liverpool, who have survived Spurs’ first onslaught of the second half.

18.45 BST

52 min I can’t remember the last time Liverpool crossed the halfway line. This has been Spurs’ best spell of the game by a mile.

18.45 BST

51 min: Another fine save from Alisson! Maddison’s through pass to Son was cut out, but the ball deflected to Udogie. He knocked it into Son, who chested the ball down on the edge of the area and swished a spectacular volley towards goal. Alisson reacted superbly to push it over the bar with both hands.

18.42 BST

49 min: Lovely save from Alisson! Spurs have made an excellent start to the second half. Maddison shapes a sweet left-footed curler from 22 yards, and Alisson dives full-length to his right to fingertip it round the post. He’s pure class.

18.41 BST

47 min “The red can be debated,” says Paul Griffin, “but the ‘offside’ is clearly on with the naked eye. A Venetian blind, in Danny Blind’s front room, purchased via a blind trust, humming Tom Waits’s Blind Love, could see that.”

18.40 BST

46 min Peep peep! The second half is under way, with Diogo Jota on for Cody Gakpo.

Incidentally, Sky say they haven’t received an image of the Diaz disallowed goal that includes the offside lines. There’s one angle from which he looks well onside, although they can often be deceptive. For example, John Stones’ goal against Arsenal in the title decider last season looked offside to the naked eye but was given.

18.37 BST

“Greetings from Vietnam,” says Phil Keegan. “I am a Man U fan (pretty depressing right now) so obviously eff Liverpool, but I think Jones was unlucky. He played the ball and his foot slipped over the top of the ball and caught the Spurs player. There was no intention at all. That did not deserve a red.”

I might be wrong but I don’t think the law considers intent; it’s all about whether it endangers the safety of an opponent. Whether it should is a different argument.

18.33 BST

“Next time I’m up in court for GBH, I’ll get my brief to put forward the ‘Neville defence’,” writes Simon McMahon. “I didn’t mean no harm, your honour, and didn’t intentionally set out to give the defendant a doing. It just kind of happened. Him being a Dundee fan and all that.”

18.32 BST

A few of you have also queried Diaz’s disallowed goal in the 34th minute. From some angles he looks onside, from others clearly off. I haven’t a clue anymore. The only thing I’m certain about is that offside technology is 100 per cent reliable.

18.29 BST

“I get it probably was a red,” says Nick Smith, “but was it such a clear error by the ref to give it a yellow that VAR got involved?”

I think it was. Whenever studs make contact above the ankle, causing the other player’s leg to bend, everyone gets twitchy. But it is notable that a lot of current and ex-players, including Andros Townsend on Sky Sports, think Jones was unlucky.

18.26 BST

I’m not sure Gakpo will be back on, by the way. He was limping as he walked down the tunnel. Liverpool have loads of options on the bench – Nunez, Elliott, Jota, even Alexander-Arnold.

18.25 BST

Half time: Tottenham 1-1 Liverpool

Peep peep! Intriguing stuff in north London. Curtis Jones was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Yves Bissouma, and Liverpool were in big trouble when Son finished off a lovely move to put Spurs ahead. But this new Liverpool team don’t seem to understand the concept of the lost cause: Cody Gakpo scored a good equaliser, injuring himself in the process, and Luis Diaz almost put them ahead on the stroke of half-time.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*