With Liverpool set to hold out for a point against Tottenham, Joel Matip gifted the win to the hosts with a late own goal.
Usually, a late own goal to lose a match would see the guilty player come in for criticism.
However, there has been little thrown at Matip after his mistake, with supporters acknowledging the team’s brilliant performance to even reach injury time level, despite having just nine men.
Jurgen Klopp had a similar reaction, telling Sky Sports: “In the end it looks a little bit like destiny, somebody had to put their foot there and that was Joel [Matip].
“He defended outstandingly well today and then he goes and the ball goes in the goal, and that’s unlucky and that’s now not a nice outcome.
“I really think we would have deserved the point but we didn’t get the point but I heard about worse things in life.”
Alisson could be seen consoling Matip after the goal, and the 32-year-old’s centre-back partner, Virgil van Dijk, had sympathy also.
“I know it’s difficult as a central defender,” Van Dijk told BBC Sport.
“If the ball is crossing with an ugly bounce, it’s always difficult to clear it. It went in and unfortunately that can happen. He’s fine, he’s a good friend of mine and I know he will be fine.”
Supporters also voiced their support for Matip online, largely blaming the officiating for Liverpool’s defeat rather than the Reds’ defending.
I put zero blame on Matip or any of our players. They did us proud and were magnificent. #LFC https://t.co/WUZCTHyGdL
— Graeme Kelly (@GraemeKelly1) October 1, 2023
Tired legs, tired body, tired mind, Matip shouldn’t get an ounce of criticism for that.
Spurs get three undeserved points.
Liverpool will probably get a fine for all the bookings.
PGMOL will carry on doing what they do best
And we’ll still be told this is the greatest league…
— Jim Boardman (@JimBoardman) September 30, 2023
I have absolutely no complaints about any of the players there today, not even Matip. That result is purely down to the terrible officiating. Every player left on that pitch fought right to the end.
— Abigail Rudkin (@rudkin_abigail) September 30, 2023
No one should hate on Matip for that.
This Liverpool team are the real deal.
That is the worst luck I've seen in 40 years of following this club in a single game.
Spurs actually didn't deserve it.
— GaGs (@GagsTandon) September 30, 2023
So so unlucky tonight.
Feel for Matip too, last kick to do that but he was fantastic, as was the rest of the team.
Robbed by the officials. That point could, and should have been massive, hard to take.
— Dinesh Kumar (@DHardayal) September 30, 2023
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