Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham: last-gasp Jota goal ruins epic Tottenham comeback

When Tottenham Hotspur went down 3-0 to Liverpool in the first 15 minutes, some of the visiting Spurs fans at Anfield started to leave the stadium. They ended up missing a hell of a match. Despite conceding three quick goals, Tottenham managed to battle their way back into the match. Harry Kane scored a first half strike to cut the lead to 3-1 at halftime, Son added another curling strike in the second half, and then in extra time, substitute Richarlison, who was cruelly denied a blatant penalty by match official Paul Tierney minutes earlier, scored his first Premier League goal of the season to level the score at 3-3.

Ryan Mason and his squad surely thought they could walk away from this match with a point, but Diego Jota, who himself shouldn’t have been on the pitch after kicking Oliver Skipp in the forehead, capitalized on a horrendous backpass from Lucas Moura to score and give Liverpool the 4-3 win.

God, that was bonkers. Here are my match reactions.

Match reactions

• What a weird game. The way it started, you’d have thought I’d be furious, but Spurs played their way back into it and thoroughly deserved a result. In fact, with a bit of luck they could’ve won this match on the trot. Three balls off the post, one bizarrely uncalled penalty, and Spurs should’ve been up a man at the end.
• I mean of course Spurs conceded early and of course it was Pedro Porro’s fault, that seems to be the common thread. In this case, Porro was so busy doubling Cuti’s man that he didn’t even check to see if Jones was lurking at the back post. Too easy.
• Liverpool just carved Spurs open for the second goal. Terrible marking, terrible defense, 2-0 down in the opening five minutes.
• I can’t really complain about the penalty. Stone cold pen, Cuti not only got him with the trailing leg, he got him with the leading leg too.
• Skipp is actually very lucky he didn’t get sent off on his tackle on Luis Diaz. Studs up into the ankle, could’ve easily have been red. That said, Diego Jota scored the winner and literally kicked Skippy in the head, so IDK.
• Spurs’ first half goal was wonderful, it must be said. An excellent ball from Skipp to start the move, Perisic put his defender on skates, and Kane finished clinically. A really lovely team goal, that. Shame about giving up three first.
• Can’t say that Spurs didn’t have chances to get back into it in that first half. Two shots blocked by last defenders and Sonny plonked one off the post. Second half Spurs really took it to Liverpool and hit the post another two times. Spurs honestly could’ve won this match 7-4 if they were a touch more clinical.
• Another interesting tactical tweak from Mason when he brought Sarr on for Kulusevski in the 2nd half, switching the formation to a 3-5-2. I’ve honestly been impressed with Mason over the past two matches — there’s only so much he can do, but he has Spurs playing better than they have in months.
• FANTASTIC goal from Sonny, who took that strike the way he used to before everything was garbage! Good pass from Cuti to set it up, too.
• I was so happy for Richarlison — he needed that for his confidence, and he’s been very good the past two games. Shame that he couldn’t celebrate a point at Anfield.
• Paul Tierney was ON ONE today. Besides the kick on Skippy, there was a blatant penalty on Richarlison reviewed and not given. I thought he hated Liverpool, not Spurs!
• Jurgen Klopp was his usual asshole self, but at least he pulled a hamstring yelling at the third official after Jota’s goal.
• Can we all agree now that Lucas Moura should never be seen again? That backpass was way worse than anything Eric Dier did in this match, and he was awful!
• This was a gutting loss, but I’m not angry about it. Others may be, and that’s fine — there are reasons to be mad! — but this was a strangely encouraging performance after a horrendous opening. Honestly, I’d take losing a bunch of games like this one over another season of Conte-esque, defense-first, low-block-and-counter struggleball. The result was gutting, but it sure was FUN!