Wataru Endo, a midfielder for Liverpool, discusses the contentious calls made against Tottenham.
Wataru Endo, a midfielder for Liverpool, thinks that several “difficult decisions” were made against his team during Saturday’s contentious 2-1 loss against Tottenham. Due to some of the worst refereeing in recent memory, we suffered our first loss of the season in a dramatic way.
There were several flashpoints throughout the game, such as when Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota each saw a red for the Reds. Spurs also benefited from a Luis Diaz goal that was incorrectly called offside and which VAR was unable to reverse.
Endo expressed his disappointment at his team’s inability to get a point in an interview with Liverpool’s official website (via Liverpool Echo) and noted how challenging it was to play with just nine players.
“At the end, a very difficult game, but there were 50-50 calls in the game, and yes, playing with nine players is very difficult, but I wanted to get one point, so I am very disappointed about it,” the player said. I really love this team so much. Just plainly disappointed. We must draw lessons from this outcome, and we certainly shown our spirit by persevering through tough choices.
Wataru Endo was proud with Liverpool’s commitment and enthusiasm despite the difficulty in playing with two men down. But he thought crucial events contributed to the challenging outcome. Even though the defender’s late own goal gave Tottenham the victory, Endo singled out Joel Matip for appreciation.
“Actually, no one can say anything to him because of the incredible game he played today. Both what he accomplished today and what my teammates accomplished today make me incredibly proud.”
Despite the fact that Joel Matip’s own goal in stoppage time gave Tottenham the victory, Endo applauded the defender. (Image: Stu Forster via Getty Images)
Following the game, manager Jurgen Klopp was incensed with the contentious officiating. But Endo made the decision to highlight Liverpool’s achievements despite challenging circumstances. It is encouraging to observe that the players are willing to engage in conflict in different ways.
The Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL)’s admission that VAR committed mistakes throughout the match will help the Reds. But given how much the choices affected the result, that won’t be much comfort.