Klopp grumpy but Defoe is spot on
Liverpool pay the penalty as run of wins ends at the Stadium of Light
A grumpy Jurgen Klopp apologised for his mood after seeing Liverpool twice squander the lead to draw at Sunderland as Jermain Defoe struck twice from the penalty spot.
The Anfield manager accepted that referee Anthony Taylor had got both spot-kick decisions right, but said the freekick which led to the second six minutes from time should not have been awarded.
Klopp said: “We scored the second goal, felt good, [it] felt deserved, then I would say no foul, but a free-kick. I have seen it again and there was no contact. Then handball, 2-2, that’s how it is.
“I must be honest, it doesn’t feel good and it’s not because of the point, it’s because [of] two penalties in a game... Usually what you have to do to get a penalty, to get two, that was harsh, very hard to accept.
“But obviously I have to accept it, so I will do it.”
Klopp’s disappointment at a result which ended a fourgame league winning streak was compounded by the fact that he believed his side should have been awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Sunderland penalty area seconds before the home side broke and defoe went to ground to earn the setpiece which led to the second equaliser.
He said: “It was for sure a 100 per cent foul on Daniel Sturridge. It was a similar situation, the 18-yard box, a freekick. We would have had a chance to shoot the ball against somebody’s arm.
“Obviously we didn’t have the chance and then it was no contact. If you see it again, it was no contact. I saw it in the game, the fourth official saw it.
“The decision was not the worst mistake in the world – I don’t want to say this – that’s why it feels so hard.”
Sturridge, who later limped off with an ankle injury which Klopp believes is not serious, had headed the visitors into a 20th-minute lead, but Defoe levelled from the spot within five minutes after Ragnar Klavan had felled Didier Ndong. Sadio Mane restored Liverpool’s advantage with 18 minutes remaining, but then conceded a second penalty when he blocked Sebastian Larsson’s free-kick with his arm, with Defoe obliging once again.
Sunderland manager David Moyes could not resist a barbed comment in Klopp’s direction after the German had criticised Sunderland’s defensive approach in the reverse fixture at Anfield in November. Mo yes said :“Maybeifiw as a german manager, you might praise that, actually. If I had been German, you might have been saying, ‘Great, you’re doing something different’.”
Responding to Klopp’s complaint about the late freekick, he added: “Look, I think things go against you. You should see what it’s like at the bottom of the league. I could have been in here shouting there was another handball.”
“I must be honest, it doesn’t feel good and it’s not because of the point, it’s because [of] two penalties in a game...” JURGEN KLOPP