Harry Kane scored in stoppage time to snatch a point for Tottenham Hotspur in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday in the English Premier League.
Mohamed Salah capitalised on a mistake from Eric Dier to put Liverpool in front in the third minute, taking his tally to 20 league goals for the season.
Substitute Victor Wanyama thundered home an equaliser 10 minutes from time before Kane missed from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
In the most dramatic of finales, Salah thought he had won it in the first minute of added time, only for Spurs to win another penalty kick which Kane converted.
The England forward was scoring his 100th Premier League goal, and it left his team fifth on the table, two points behind third-placed Liverpool.
“It is difficult to get every decision right,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “When they are right and show character I needed to congratulate them.”
Defender Virgil van Dijk, returning to the Liverpool starting line-up, did a fine job of keeping an unchanged Spurs quiet for the majority of the first half.
Liverpool’s task was made easier by their early opener.
Dier, in attempting to make an interception, diverted the ball into the path of Salah, putting the Egypt international clean through to break the deadlock.
Tottenham’s only shot on target in the first 45 minutes came via the boot of Mousa Dembele, but his half-volley was easily saved by Loris Karius.
Spurs improved after the break and almost equalised through Son Heung-min in the 58th minute, but Karius stood tall to make the block.
The visitors equalised out of the blue when Wanyama thundered the ball into the net from distance before the drama unfolded.
Kane’s tame penalty kick was easily saved by Karius after the England striker had been felled in the box.
Then, Salah danced his way past two Spurs defenders and fired into the net to score what looked likely to be the winner.
However, the linesman spotted a foul by Van Dijk on substitute Erik Lamela in the box, giving Kane the chance to make amends.
“The softest touch in the whole game decides the game,” Klopp said. “It is not a penalty kick.”
Kane duly converted from the penalty kick spot with virtually the last kick off the game to silence Anfield.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said during his post-match press conference that “there were so many situations to talk about, but the ref’s decisions decided the game so I can’t help but talk about them.
“I don’t understand either of the penalty situations. The first one was offside and the second, I know already what the ref and his assistant will say.
“There was a touch, a little touch. But Lamela has jumped into him and wanted the touch and to go down.
`If the ref kept playing at that level then fine, but in the first half he wasn’t giving fouls. Then for the softest touch of the whole game he decides it is a foul.
“In the second half we had to defend like crazy, they had to chase the game. We had counter-attacks, the high pressure was good and we put in some super crosses.
“We were a bit unlucky here and there but we had enough chances to win the game. And we would have if it wasn’t for those decisions.”
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, however, had a slightly different view about the match.
“It was an amazing game to watch — two teams that always try to play exciting football,” he said at a post-match interview.
“I was calm because the team plays so well. The feeling is we dropped two points. We were much, much, much better than Liverpool.
“Both were a penalty and it is not controversial. Sometimes people complain about the referee, but when they are right it is good to tell everyone.
“It was important, the character. When you analyse the game, it was always under control in spite of conceding the first goal. When you analyse the 90 minutes, Tottenham were much better.
“We always try to give our best. The team always shows personality and character. Today was a game we played for the win, and to change history you need time.”(Reuters/NAN)
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