Liverpool gaffer, Jurgen Klopp has attacked match officials in charge of Arsenal versus Liverpool match at over the weekend, accusing them of being biased.
Recall that center referee, Michael Oliver ignored a call for Liverpool in the first half of the encounter when Arsenal’s defender, Gabriel Magalhaes handled the ball in the penalty area.
The German tactician was unhappy with the officiating in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat against the Gunners at the Emirates on Sunday.
He feels Arsenal’s winning penalty was soft and should not have been awarded.
Gabriel Martinelli sent Arsenal ahead after 58 seconds of play, but Liverpool came back through Darwin Nunez.
Bukayo Saka put the home team ahead again in the dying minute of the first half to put scores at 2-1
Liverpool’s Firminio equalized in the second half to put scores at 2-2.
Saka then scored what turned out the decider from a spot-kick to give the home side all three points after Thiago was adjudged to have kicked Gabriel Jesus in the box but the replay shows it was a minimal contract.
Before then Liverpool were denied a penalty of their own for what looked like a clear handball from Gabriel .
Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, the German coach said: “It was an open game, it could have gone in either direction, and then this situation around the penalty.
“And then I think if it’s a penalty, it’s a very, very soft one.
“Like the whole situation, when you see the contact, I don’t even know if there is really contact.
“When Gabriel Jesus is going down there is like a bit of a delay, so it was not ‘band’ and straight down.
“But [the VAR] Mr England thought it was not worth sending the ref to the screen. We cannot change that.
‘He saw that slightly differently in the first half when obviously Diogo [Jota] wanted to cross the ball – not the hardest cross obviously – and Gabriel’s hand was not in a natural position, I would say.”
