Jurgen Klopp has reacted to failure by referee to award his team a penalty in the final minutes of Sunday’s draw with Manchester City.
Having already been awarded one spot-kick, the Reds felt they should have had another, deep into injury time.
With Alexis Mac Allister contesting a 50/50 in the box with Jeremy Doku, the City man appeared to catch Mac Allister with a high boot.
But after the VAR checked the tape, referee Michael Oliver said ‘no penalty.’ Speaking to beIN SPORTS after the game, Klopp gave his views on the incident.
After being subject to some questionable decisions already this season, the Liverpool manager admitted that he was expecting another call from head of the PGMOL, Howard Webb.
“It’s a clear penalty,” Klopp bemoaned.
“Somebody will explain the reason why it’s not or Howard Webb will call us tomorrow, both things will not change the result!”
There will understandably be an outraged reaction from the Liverpool fanbase following this latest piece of high-profile refereeing. In fact, there already has been.
However, we have to admit that – although we may be in a minority – we don’t actually think Doku’s challenge on Mac Allister was a penalty.
Yes, it was high and it certainly wouldn’t have been a surprise to see it given. But there wasn’t really an awful lot in it, either.
Had Oliver blown for a spot-kick to the Reds, it feels unlikely that it would have been overturned by the VAR officials. With the on-pitch referee keeping his whistle out of his mouth though, the bar was not high enough to overturn it.
Obviously, a penalty given would likely have meant that Liverpool won the game. It would near enough have been the final kick.
But although there is frustration over that, that disappointment should instead be focused on the chances that the Reds squandered in earlier parts of the game.
Despite a terrific all-round performance, Luis Diaz was especially culpable in that respect. The Colombian should have scored at least twice on the day.
Had Lucho buried his opportunities, we wouldn’t have been having this debate now. That we have to talk about referees once again is a product of Liverpool missing their chances. It should have been done and dusted.
The debate will no doubt rage about this one, but there’s been far worse go against us this season. It could have gone either way, really. Not every piece of contact in the box is a penalty.
