Diogo Jota blasted for ‘stupid’ red-card as nine-man Liverpool fall to Tottenham defeat

Diogo Jota was sent off just 24 minutes after coming on against Tottenham, as Liverpool were defeated for the first time this season, with the attacker coming in for heavy criticism

Diogo Jota has been criticised after being sent off against Tottenham (

Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Diogo Jota has been slammed for his performance against Tottenham, as the Liverpool man was sent off just 24 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

The Reds fell to their first defeat of the season against high-flying Spurs, with Jurgen Klopp’s side forced to play the last 20 minutes with nine men. Curtis Jones had been controversially sent off in the first-half, a decision pundit Gary Neville vehemently disagreed with.

Heung-Min Son scored to put the hosts a goal ahead 10 minutes after that sending off, before Cody Gakpo equalised on the stroke of half-time. The Dutchman injured himself scoring that goal though, with Jota coming on in his place.

But it was a below-par display from the Portugal international, who picked up two bookings in a matter of moments. His first yellow-card was harsh, with replays showing Iyenoma Udogie had actually tripped himself.

But there could be no complaints over his second booking and subsequent red-card though. Jota lost the ball to Udogie and then lunged into a tackle to try to win it back, but missed it completely and instead clipped the Spurs star.

That meant that just over a minute after picking up his first booking, he was being sent for an early bath by referee Simon Hooper. His awful cameo led to former Reds star Stephen Warnock laying into the attacker.

“A clear second yellow card for Diogo Jota. He has been poor since coming on at half time, not up to the pace of the game at all. He loses the ball in his own half. Udogie nips in and Jota goes to ground, clipping the left back’s heels in the process. No complaints,” he told BBC Sport.

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Jota saw red for a lunge on Iyenoma Udogie (

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“We have just witnessed one of the best games of football that I have seen in a long time. The quality that was on show from both sides was incredible. Liverpool even with ten and then nine men managed to do their part in terms of making it such a spectacle.

“But Spurs had enough in the end to get that winning goal. A great result for them and Big Ange, but questions will be asked of the officiating in the aftermath.”

While Neville was critical of Hooper’s decision to send off Jones, he backed Jota’s red-card. The former Manchester United captain slammed Jota’s “stupidity” and hinted he could be in for a difficult talk with boss Klopp.

“That’s just stupidity. Jurgen Klopp won’t have much time for that, what is he doing? He’s not on the right side of the man, Udogie knows he’s away. He’s just been booked, and that is not very clever from Jota. He’s let his teammates down there,” Neville said in commentary.

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Spurs star James Maddison was adamant that Jota deserved to be sent off. And he insisted that Klopp could have nothing to complain about over the decision, that would go on to cost his team.

He said: “Jota’s definitely was. The Curtis Jones one early on got shown on the big screen I think was a red card as well. I’m not sure Jurgen will complain too much about those too.”

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