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Tottenham Hotspur left it late against nine-man Liverpool to win 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday (September 30).
Joel Matip scored an own goal in the 96th minute as the Reds succumbed to their first top-flight loss of the season. Liverpool had started brightly and threatened early on, but their momentum appeared to fade after Curtis Jones was sent off in the 26th minute.
The midfielder caught Yves Bissouma with his studs, but it didn't seem intentional, as it happened when both players jostled for the ball. In the 34th minute, Luis Diaz seemed to have put the Reds 1-0 up, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.
Less than two minutes later, Heung-min Son opened the scoring for Spurs after latching onto a cross from Richarlison and tapping it into an empty net. In added time inthe opening half, Cody Gakpo restored parity for the visitors with a confident finish on the half-turn.
Liverpool's evening went from bad to worse after Diogo Jota, who had only replaced Gakpo at the break, was also shown a red, reducing the Reds to nine men.
Anaemic and lacklustre, Tottenham were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage. The match was heading for a draw, when there was a late, late twist. Pedro Porro sent in a brilliant cross into the box which Matip inadvertently diverted into his own net, with just a minute of stoppage time remaining.
For the first time since October 2017, Tottenham beat Liverpool, ending a 12-game winless run, as they climbed to second in the Premier League table with 17 points. Liverpool dropped to fourth with 16.
On that note, here are the player ratings for Tottenham Hotspur:
Guglielmo Vicario - 7/10
The Tottenham goalkeeper made four saves, including two from inside the box, to emerge as a reliable figure between the posts. However, Vicario had no chance with Gakpo's goal.
Pedro Porro - 8.5/10
Tottenham's real MVP of the game, Porro oozed class with every piece of action. Defensively stout, the Spaniard made five clearances and blocked two shots, and made six tackles.
He also made his presence felt in offence, driving forward with poise and purpose. It was his cross that Matip inadvertently diverted into Liverpool's net.
Cristian Romero - 7.5/10
Romero's game-reading was excellent and positional awareness immaculate. He made three interceptions and tackles apiece and also dominated aerially, with five duels won. Moreover, the Argentine missed just five of his 98 passes.
Micky van de Ven - 6.5/10
He dealt with the might of Mohamed Salah impressively in counter-attacking situations and demonstrated his incredible passing range.
Destiny Udogie - 7/10
Udogie, too, came up trumps against Salah, following the Egyptian like a shadow to limit his influence. The 20-year-old also made three key passes.
Pape Sarr - 6/10
Displaying excellent speed on the break and getting into some good positions, Sarr made some poor decisions on the ball, though.
Yves Bissouma - 7.5/10
Tottenham's battering ram, Bissouma used his physicality to bully Liverpool midfielders.
He fought hard for possession, winning eight of 12 attempted ground duels and making four tackles. His tally of 116 passes completed was the highest in the game.
Dejan Kulusevski - 7.5/10
The Swedish ace was an indomitable presence down the right wing, bombing forward with energy and looking for spaces in behind Liverpool's defence. He made five key passes and won as many ground duels.
James Maddison - 7.5/10
The 26-year-old was the creative inspiration for his side, laying out five key passes. He also made a staggering 12 crosses, but only one was completed.
Richarlison - 7.5/10
Richarlison tested Liverpool's defence constantly and ended the game with five shots, two of which were on target. He also laid two key passes and bagged the assist for Son's goal.
Heung-min Son - 8.5/10
The South Korean loves playing Liverpool. He had scored in his previous three previous against them. Make that four now.
Ratings of Tottenham Hotspur substitutes against Liverpool
Manor Solomon (69' for Son) - 7/10
The Israeli had a promising cameo. His passes were slick, and he regained possession a few times.
Ben Davies (83' for Udogie) - 6/10
He was hardly involved after coming on late.
Oliver Skipp (83' for Sarr) - 5/10
He touched the ball just once in 15 minutes.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (90' for Bissouma) - N/A
He didn't have enough time to make an impact.
Alejo Veliz (90' for Maddison) - N/A
He didn't have enough time to make an impact.
