This must have been one of the worst refereeing performances from all officials – referee, assistant referees and VAR – ever in the history of football. Countless stupid decisions were made that affected both teams, although Liverpool will have more to complain about than Tottenham.
The Reds came into the game without Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho again because of Covid and Thiago Alcantara joined the list of players who’ve succumbed to the pandemic, while Jordan Henderson was also out because of a non-related Covid illness.
In came James Milner and Naby Keita in midfield to play alongside Premier League debutant Tyler Morton, who has previously impressed in League Cup and Champions League games.
The inexperienced midfield and centre back partnership of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate looked vulnerable in the first part of the game as Tottenham found it easy to break the lines and find themselves in on goal. Alisson Becker made early saves and a last minute lunge and block from Konate kept Harry Kane out.
But it wasn’t long before Spurs did score. On 13 minutes, a through ball in between Konate and Andy Roberston – who stepped up too late and played Harry Kane onside – found the England captain in on goal and he slid the ball into the corner of the net, beyond the outstretched hand of Becker who perhaps showed too much of his goal to Kane.
Pumped up from scoring, Kane was then guilty of a reckless studs-up challenge on Robertson. Referee Paul Tierney showed the Spurs striker a yellow but on replay it was clearly a dangerous, out-of-control challenge that caught the Liverpool defender. All expected VAR Chris Kavanagh to refer the referee to the pitch side monitor to upgrade the yellow to a red but, inexplicably, VAR did not see what everyone else saw, which was that Tierney had made a clear and obvious error and Kane should have been off for an early bath.
Liverpool’s fury at the injustice was compounded when Diogo Jota was assaulted in the area by Emerson Royal, pushed and kicked by the Spurs defender as he went to strike the ball. Again, inexplicably, Tierney saw no foul and, even more bizarrely, VAR did not see fit to alert the referee to his clear and obvious error.
For his protests at Kane not seeing Red and Jota not getting a spot kick, Jurgen Klopp was booked.
In between these catastrophic and laughable decisions from the officials, Liverpool managed to equalise on 35 minutes – a Robertson cross brilliantly headed in by Jota from eight yards out.
Liverpool continued to threaten in the second half and create chances, though Spurs actually had the clearer opportunities, Son, Dele Alli and Kane all missing golden opportunities, the England captain missing a header from two yards out.
On 69 minutes, Liverpool deservedly went ahead. Pinball in the Spurs area ended with Trent Alexander Arnold driving the ball across the box and Robertson stooping from three yards out to nod the ball into the net. Tottenham were furious that earlier in the phase of play, a handball wasn’t given against Mo Salah, but the goal was allowed to stand.
Spurs had a reasonable shout for a penalty after a clumsy challenge from Joel Matip on Son – a foul in any other part of the pitch – but it wasn’t given. Still, on 74 minutes, a horrific error from Becker – who throughout the game wasn’t his calm self, rushing out unnecessarily on several occasions – in which he fluffed a standard clearance from an overhit through pass to Son, going to ground, then missing the ball entirely, allowing the Spurs striker to slot into an empty net and level the scores.
Becker’s horrendous error, which allowed Spurs back into the game, put Liverpool players on edge and Roberston let out his rage by hacking Emerson Royal. It was a challenge far less brutal than Kane’s earlier yellow card tackle and, initially, Tierney gave the Scot the right punishment, only for VAR to recommend he go to the pitch side screen to review whether the card should be upgraded to a red. Again, after several reviews, and bearing in mind that Kane’s far worse tackle was only given a yellow, everyone was expecting Tierney not to change his mind; but he did and Liverpool were down to 10 men.
Fortunately for Liverpool, they held on for the draw and had Kostas Tsimikas – who had come on after the sending off – put in a better cross with Salah waiting to strike in the middle, then the Reds could have come away with an unlikely three points.
