Tottenham Hotspur have released a statement condemning the racist abuse directed at left-back Destiny Udogie following the Lilywhites' 2-1 Premier League win over Liverpool at the weekend.
Ange Postecoglou's men continued their unbeaten start to the league season thanks to Son Heung-min's strike and a last-gasp Joel Matip own goal either side of Cody Gakpo's leveller on Saturday evening.
However, Spurs' win was overshadowed by more than one instance of officiating controversy, as Liverpool lost both of Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota to red cards in North London.
Jota had come on as a half-time replacement for Gakpo, who sustained a leg injury in a challenge from Udogie before netting his goal, and the Portuguese was firstly booked for bringing Udogie down from behind.
Replays showed that Udogie appeared to trip over his own feet, but Jota's booking stood, and the Reds attacker was then banished from the field for scything down the Italian again before Spurs clinched a dramatic victory.
Following the hosts' slender success, Udogie was the target of abhorrent social media comments involving racial slurs and monkey emojis, and Tottenham have confirmed that they will work with the Premier League to identify any perpetrators.
We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday's game against Liverpool.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 2, 2023
We will work with the Premier League and, where possible, take action against any individual we are able to identify.
We stand with you... pic.twitter.com/aJxcnelfZX
"We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday's game against Liverpool," the North London club said in a statement.
"We will work with the Premier League and, where possible, take action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Destiny."
Udogie has impressed in his first full season as a Tottenham player since leaving Udinese in the summer, having returned to the Italian side on loan for the 2022-23 season after joining Spurs in an €18m (£15.6m) deal.
The 20-year-old has registered two assists in seven top-flight starts for Postecoglou's side, who sit second in the Premier League table with 17 points from 21 on offer so fat this term.
Prior to Jota's sending off, Liverpool also lost Jones to a straight red card for a tackle on Yves Bissouma, while a Luis Diaz goal was also incorrectly ruled out for offside due to "significant human error".
Amid the ongoing fallout, Liverpool have announced that they are exploring a range of options after the "unacceptable" mistake at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which ended the Reds' seven-game winning run and 19-match unbeaten streak.
Ben Knapton
