Richarlison’s weird pigeon celebration comes back to haunt Tottenham star
There was more than a hint of karma coming home to roost at Anfield on Sunday seconds after Richarlison thought he'd completed a historic comeback for Tottenham against Liverpool.
It took less than 15 minutes for the Reds to go three goals up on Merseyside, but Spurs somehow fought back to pull level in the 93rd minute thanks to a well-placed header from Richarlison. The Brazil international applied the finishing touches after earlier finishes from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min helped cancel out Liverpool's trio of goals from Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
But the north Londoners were ultimately left with egg on their faces after a wild reaction to their misfiring forward's deft equaliser, only to crumble with seconds remaining. And Richarlison whipped out his signature celebration in front of the Anfield faithful, flexing his wings and earning a yellow card for his troubles after removing his jersey in the process.
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But it was not to be the point-snatching protest Spurs thought it was after Lucas Moura's misplaced back-pass plated Diogo Jota for the decider just 99 seconds later. It's not easy to pull off a bird-based celebration at the best of times, but Richarlison's move was made to look that bit more misplaced in hindsight.
The former Everton talisman's much-loved manoeuvre sees him mimic a pigeon by flexing his arms outwards and crowing along while bobbing his head. Not that Tottenham fans could be blamed for being in the dark, however, given Richarlison has had so few excuses to use it on-field this term.
Is Richarlison's pigeon celebration the best 'instant karma' moment in football? Let us know in the comments section below.
Last summer's £50million signing scored two goals in a Champions League fixture against Marseille back in September but has since gone more than seven months without finding the back of the net again. While his booked outburst may have ended in tears at Anfield, however, fans will be hoping this signals the start of a more prolific run in the Premier League.
Richarlison previously went into detail to provide context to the move, which has earned him renown among South American fans: “The pigeon dance came from a group from Rio de Janeiro who had a song in around 2012. A trend was started when I did the dance at home. Everyone started copying me. I think I’ve helped the band’s profile grow because of that."
Needless to say that rise in profile will have plateaued considerably over the last year or so given Richarlison's restrained form in front of goal. The forward has found it difficult to crack a front three of Kane, Son and Dejan Kulusevski for much of his maiden year in north London, while calf and hamstring injuries haven't helped.
Not that Sunday's seventh goal – dubbed 'the most Tottenham thing you will ever see' – was his fault, with Moura likely to be kicking himself for some time. However, it's not the first time Richarlison's shirt-stripping ways have led to regret after he was previously sent off for whipping off his top – only for the goal to be disallowed anyway.
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