VAR did it again against Liverpool

Liverpool’s unbeaten streak in the Premier League came to an end as they faced a dramatic defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

Joel Matip‘s own goal in the dying moments of the game handed Tottenham a last-gasp victory and denied Liverpool the top spot in the league.

The match was filled with suspense and excitement as Liverpool fought to maintain their lead despite being down to nine players for a significant portion of the game. Tottenham took advantage of their numerical advantage and continued their unbeaten start to the season under the guidance of manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Sporting News provided live updates of the game, keeping fans informed of the score, commentary, and highlights as they unfolded. Tottenham’s victory propelled them to second place in the Premier League standings, while Liverpool dropped from their coveted top spot.

The match came to a thrilling conclusion as Matip unintentionally sliced Pedro Porro‘s cross into his own net, sealing the victory for Tottenham. The home fans and players were filled with relief and excitement as they celebrated their team’s unbeaten start to the season.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson received a booking for time-wasting, as his team tried to secure a memorable point. However, their efforts were in vain as Tottenham continued to press forward, keeping Liverpool on the back foot.

Both teams made several substitutions throughout the game in an attempt to gain an advantage. Tottenham brought on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Alejo Veliz, while Liverpool replaced Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, and Luis Diaz with Ibrahima Konate, Wataru Endo, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool’s hopes of a comeback were further hindered when Diogo Jota was shown a red card, reducing their squad to nine players. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Liverpool managed to create scoring opportunities, with Virgil van Dijk narrowly missing a header from a corner.

Tottenham also had their fair share of chances, with Son Heung-min having a goal disallowed and Alisson making crucial saves. The match was a display of both teams’ determination and resilience.

The game ended with Tottenham securing a thrilling victory in the final minutes of added time. Liverpool’s defeat marked their first in the Premier League in almost six months, highlighting the strength of their opponents and the competitive nature of the league.

Although Liverpool‘s impressive unbeaten streak has come to an end, they can take pride in their performance, especially considering they played with only nine players for a significant portion of the game. The defeat serves as a reminder of the unpredictability and excitement that makes the Premier League one of the most captivating football leagues in the world.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited, better known as PGMOL, have, late on Saturday, confirmed that the VAR team responsible for overseeing the Premier League meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool were responsible for a game-altering mistake

And, safe to say, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has not responded to the statement at all well.

For those who may have missed it, Spurs and Liverpool went toe-to-toe a short time ago.

When all was said and done in north London, the former emerged on the right side of the result, owing to the latest of own goals on the part of Joel Matip.

En route to their eventual triumph, though, Tottenham were the beneficiaries of some ‘favourable’ officiating decisions.

First off, Liverpool pair Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were sent for early baths, for what were deemed respective red card-worthy offences.

Even more controversial, though, was a disallowed first-half goal for the visitors.

With the score still at 0-0, Luis Diaz broke free, to drive a fine finish into the far corner of Guglielmo Vicario’s net.

After an ensuing VAR check, however, despite the Colombian having looked comfortably onside, it was decided that the linesman’s original decision would stand, with the sides therefore remaining deadlocked.

But the controversy has not come to an end there.

As alluded to above, post-match, PGMOL have released an official statement, confirming that, in fact, Diaz’s effort should have stood.

The statement can be read in full below:

‘PGMOL acknowledge a significant human error occurred during the first half of Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool.

‘The goal by Luis Díaz was disallowed for offside by the on-field team of match officials. This was a clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention, however, the VAR failed to intervene’

‘PGMOL will conduct a full review into the circumstances which led to the error.

‘PGMOL will immediately be contacting Liverpool at the conclusion of the fixture to acknowledge the error.’