This is indeed the most destructive way to lose a football game.
After enduring all the blood, sweat and tears of the Liverpool players being ejected for the game, they got nothing at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Joel Matip's own goal in the 96th minute was the fatal blow. It was Pedro Polo's cross, the centre-back who had been arguably Liverpool's favourite before that, who shot into his own top of the net in the final seconds to make it 2-1.
It was the defining moment of a fascinating race, but now it feels outdated given the frenzy that ensued. The ensuing chaos was the result of yet another VAR mistake, although this one was arguably the worst we've seen in English football.
In Tottenham's match against Liverpool, Luis Diaz shot hard behind Guglielmo Vicario, but the Colombian's shot was ruled offside and Curtis Jones was already sent off with a red card. It's just that it's not offside, and as you may already know, video assistant referee Darren England denied the Reds' legitimate goal, which was a "significant human error". Liverpool asked for audio of the conversation where Luis Diaz's goal was void VAR
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has since said a rematch is needed to maintain sporting integrity, although the Premier League is highly unlikely to approve such an idea. However, while Klapp was justified in being angry at the mistake, his inability to let it go could take a toll on his Liverpool team. Perhaps it was some complicated deflection tactics by the German coach, but with little success.
After all, all that is lost in the story is Liverpool's brilliant performance on Saturday night. The Reds ended the game with nine men after Diogo Jota was also sent off in the second half, but Tottenham needed huge luck in stoppage time to break through the incredibly determined away defence.
Despite a strong start to the season, the Reds looked vulnerable at the back, defensively excellent given the fewer players on the pitch from the 26th minute. Alison was in excellent form, making two great saves in the second half. Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson look solid at full-back, playing well with Richardson and Dejan Kulusevski, who has been on the floor. Matip excelled at the defensive core alongside Virgil van Dijk, who looked closer to his domineering best.
Before these five, for most of the game, there were four in a row. Alexis McAllister and the illustrious Dominic Szabosley. Despite playing 10 games, Liverpool still created chances. Gakpo's goal was beautiful, while Diaz clearly had a legitimate goal ruled invalidated and his slide before half-time was close. Every time someone like Salah and Diaz runs to the back, the Spurs look dangerous.
With nine men on the pitch, Liverpool can be said to be even better. Klopp made the right substitution at the right moment. The five defenders who followed cleared, blocked and dived before every cross and shot showed the kind of resilience the Reds lacked in the weeks leading up to the new season.
As Klopp himself hinted after the final whistle, his side were proud of themselves regardless of the outcome. However, now that the narrative has changed, Liverpool cannot reverse it. Klopp was very calm to his standards after the game and he continued to demean the team's performance by performing pantomime. Arguably Liverpool's strongest form of the season given the current situation, is now nothing more than a sidebar and the atmosphere around Anfield is unnecessarily tense.
Perhaps Klopp is trying to instill in his players a "we fight the world" mentality. It wasn't a bad tactic, but Saturday's performance showed that Liverpool's 'psychological monsters' are starting to regain their footing, with a new sense of conviction and purpose in a young and hungry team. All this rhetoric and anger will only distract this Liverpool team.