Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened | Premier League | The Guardian Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to key eventsSkip to navigation

Joel Matip’s 96th-minute own goal shattered nine-man Liverpool and gave Spurs another memorable late victory

 Updated 
Sat 30 Sep 2023 14.53 EDTFirst published on Sat 30 Sep 2023 11.30 EDT
Joel Matip distraught after scoring an injury time own goal.
Joel Matip distraught after scoring an injury time own goal. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters
Joel Matip distraught after scoring an injury time own goal. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

Live feed

Key events

Ange Postecoglou talks to Sky Sports

There was a lot going on, I’m trying to process it all. It’s fantastic to beat a top-class opponent, and getting a late winner always adds that little bit of spirit and belief. Even with the extra two men, Liverpool made it difficult for us. We didn’t handle it too well when they went down to ten – we started rushing things.

At the start of the second half we were better, but after the second red card we probably didn’t vary our attacks enough. The one at the end – it’s an own-goal I know, but it’s one of the few times we flashed a ball across the box.

I’m being really picky. We’re just in our infancy and this group of players have been outstanding. I’m rapt with getting the results because it allows me to keep pushing them, because they have belief now.

Credit to Liverpool, the mentality they have to hang in there even with nine men… they’ve got winners in their team and that’s something we need to learn to become as well.

Share
Updated at 

The Spurs fans are belting out Angels, swaying from side to side. In its four-year existence, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has never been such a happy place. They were a bit fortunate today, and they won’t care one iota about that.

Share
Updated at 

Liverpool look devastated, as you’d expect after such a coolly heroic defensive performance. Curtis Jones was sent off in the 26th minute and Diogo Jota in the 69th, yet they didn’t really look like losing.

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.

Share
Updated at 

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
Share
Updated at 

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.

Oh Joel Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Share
Updated at 

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.

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
Share
Updated at 

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Share
Updated at 

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.

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.

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 receives his marching orders. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Share
Updated at 

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.

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.

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. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

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.

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.

Share
Updated at 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Share
Updated at 

“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.

Share
Updated at 

“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.”

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.

“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.

Share
Updated at 

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.

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.

Most viewed

Most viewed