Liverpool defeated Bournemouth 3-1 in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday, the emphatic victory was marred by a harsh red card for new signing Alexis Mac Allister that left Jurgen Klopp confused.
Despite an opening goal from Bournemouth in just the third minute of the game, goals from Luis Diaz and Mo Salah had Liverpool 2-1 ahead by the break before Jota made it 3-1 just after the hour mark.
The win marks Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp’s first win of the Premier League season and their first game in the newly-renovated Anfield, which will be opened on a phased basis the first of which is today.
However, the win was overshadowed by a harsh straight red card for new signing Alexis Mac Allister in which VAR didn’t intervene to correct what seemed to be an extremely unfortunate decision for Mac Allister on his 100th Premier League appearance.
The decision to send Mac Allister off unsurprisingly left Jurgen Klopp rather dismayed, with the Liverpool boss unable to comprehend how it was a red card.
Speaking in a press conference after his side’s 3-1 win at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp while clearly unhappy with the decision did say he’d be talking to the relevant people to try appeal the decision against Mac Allister despite not wanting to give advice to the refs:
“After the game I saw it back and I think, If you have a list of points of what we need to give a red card, besides contact, no other boxes are ticked.
“It’s a decision I think we all agree if I gave a yellow card VAR would not overturn it, but I gave a red card and VAR is not overturning it because the contact means there’s no clear and obvious blah blah blah!
“I think the punishment: 40 minutes with ten men in that battle today is punishment enough, but let’s see.”
While Klopp echoed a similar sentiment about Alexis Mac Allister’s red card to Sky Sports after the game, he did suggest that Liverpool would be exploring their options to try and appeal today’s decision that saw Liverpool reduced to ten men for the majority of the game:
“We’ll see what we can do (about an appeal) For sure we will try and talk to the people about it for sure.
“The result leaves Liverpool with four points from two games ahead of their trip to Newcastle next Sunday where they’ll be hoping Alexis Mac Allister will be available.”
