Klopp responds to Odegaard handball decision as Liverpool denied penalty
Jurgen Klopp has insisted Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty in the first half of their top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal.
The Gunners went ahead through Gabriel's brilliant header, though the Reds later equalised thanks to a wondergoal from Mohamed Salah. Before Salah had scored though, the hosts had a huge shout for a penalty turned down by referee Chris Kavanagh.
Salah had taken a touch and turned to move into the box, with Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard marking him. As the ball went past the Norwegian though, Odegaard slipped and appeared to grab out at the ball to balance himself.
Kavanagh rejected the demands for a penalty, with VAR David Coote checking the incident, before confirming that a spot-kick should not be awarded. Klopp was left perplexed by the decision, insisting Kavanagh and Coote were wrong.
"The penalty situation is a weird situation, I don't know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I'm not sure how you can say it's not a penalty. I’m pretty sure someone will explain it to me about why it wasn’t a handball, but I don’t know how," he said.
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"I don't say the ref can see it because I have no clue where he was at that moment. But that's another question. When somebody sits in the office, how can they not come to the conclusion that it might be worth having another look at it."
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Jurgen Klopp was left furious that a penalty was not awarded for this Martin Odegaard handballThe PGMOL later told Sky Sports that a penalty had not been awarded because Odegaard's arm was "moving towards his body and not the ball". Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher agreed with Klopp despite that explanation, insisting Odegaard was "fortunate".
Klopp was otherwise pleased with what he saw from his side against the table toppers. And the Liverpool boss admitted his side had the chances to claim a statement win that would have sent them to the summit.
“I just saw two really good football teams, a really good game, super-intense. Top, top, top moments for us; could have won, maybe should have won. In all the interviews I had so far, I forgot completely Trent’s [shot off the] crossbar," he said.
"That’s why I said, ‘I’m not sure, they could have [won]’ but with that chance we should have won the game. Besides that, they had the better start, we came super back in the game.
“The reaction to the 1-0 was fantastic. We were super-intense, nearly too intense; we tried massively to influence from outside that we have to calm down in moments, that we have to mix it up a little bit better. That’s what we did, created really good moments with that.
“Scored a wonderful goal; maybe the best pass I saw in my life. I saw a few. Second half, we started extremely well. They are really good and really physically strong, I have to say, in all positions, wow. It's a good football team. Thank God, we are as well, that’s why it’s 1-1.”
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