KLOPP’S MEN PAY VAR STICKS BOOT
BRIGHTON ............... 1 LIVERPOOL .............. 1
LIVERPOOL are back at the Premier League summit despite Andy Robertson landing them in a spot of bother at the death. Portuguese ace Diogo Jota’s ninth goal since his summer switch from Wolves appeared to have secured the Reds a sixth victory on the bounce.
But that was before Robertson missed the ball with an attempted clearance in added time, instead catching Danny Welbeck’s foot.
There were no appeals and, initially, no whistle from referee Stuart Attwell. Yet that did not stop VAR intervening and demanding Attwell change the decision.
Up stepped Pascal Gross to earn Brighton, whose striker Neal Maupay missed a first-half spotkick, a deserved share of the spoils, slamming it past keeper Alisson.
It all left Klopp’s title holders, who also had two goals chalked off by VAR for offside, only one point clear of the pack overnight.
Amazingly, given his ranting and raving all week about fixture overload, Klopp refused to condemn Stockley Park for denying them here.
Even when informed
Seagulls striker Welbeck had admitted it was a ‘soft penalty’, the German kept his cool, albeit with a touch of sarcasm, and said: “No, I am saying it was the right decision. The ref got the big decisions right.
“You want me to create headlines by saying it wasn’t a penalty but the ref whistled, so it was.”
As for Mo Salah and
Sadio Mane’s disallowed efforts in each half, Klopp added: “Mo’s was really close. We are used to armpits and badges being offside – here it was his toe. That’s okay.”
And there was another blow for Klopp as dependable utility man James Milner (left), who started the game in midfield and moved to right-back, suffered a muscle injury in the second half. The Reds had slipped up in the Champions League against Atalanta in midweek – with the rarest of home defeats – but not many expected anything but an away romp at the Amex.
Their league form has been good since a crazy 7-2 thumping at Villa Park – they had taken 11 points from the last 15. And Liverpool should have been 2-0 up inside five minutes as Jota and Salah wasted chances.
But Liverpool then allowed Graham Potter’s troops to grow in confidence. Brighton should have been celebrating at least one goal before the break.
Firstly, Aaron Connolly blazed
wide in a one-on-one with Allison. Then Maupay, who went off injured moments later, did the same from the spot after Neco Williams hacked down Connolly on 18 minutes.
When Salah’s 33rd-minute strike was ruled out by VAR, Liverpool had to wait another 27 minutes for the breakthrough.
Robertson fed Salah, whose neat flick found Jota, and the lethal
40million forward wriggled free to fire inside the post. If sub Mane’s 80th-minute header had stood, the Reds would have been out of sight
– and the ensuing penalty drama would have been irrelevant.
Welbeck, who joined from Watford in August, said: “It was a soft penalty but we take it.”
PENALTY: Aaron Connolly is fouled by Neco Williams