A WASTE OF TIME
It’s a bad day all-round for Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP raged against the dismissal of Sadio Mane as Liverpool were thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City.
But the Anfield boss (left) rejected the idea of the decision being reviewed, blasting: “An appeal would be another waste of time – like the whole game today.” The Senegalese was red-carded for a high challenge on City keeper Ederson, who
went off with suspected concussion.
Klopp seethed: “I don’t think it was a red. Sadio didn’t see the goalkeeper. It’s unlucky, an accident. I hope people see it for what it is.
The German got support from Sky studio expert Gary Neville, who insisted: “I think the ref has got it wrong.”
City are now joint top with neighbours United, who drew 2-2 at Stoke City.
JUST how good a win this was for City and how bad a defeat it was for Liverpool, revolves entirely around how you view the significance of the sendingoff of Sadio Mane.
The Senegalese striker was redcarded by referee Jon Moss in the 37th minute with City in front courtesy of a Sergio Aguero goal – his sixth in six games against Liverpool.
Mane’s foot was dangerously high and as City goalkeeper Ederson charged from his box to head away, boot made contact with face.
Ederson left the field on a stretcher to be treated for concussion and a possible fractured cheekbone.
Would Liverpool have got back into it with 11? They were certainly playing well enough.
More to the point, why did they disintegrate so completely when they were a man down?
Jurgen Klopp’s team fell apart as Gabriel Jesus added two more goals and Leroy Sane a fourth, then a fifth to register Pep Guardiola’s first-ever win against the German.
In truth, 5-0 flattered Liverpool. It could have been seven or eight.
“The biggest decision in the whole game was the red card,” said Klopp. “I don’t think it was a red. Sadio didn’t see the goalkeeper. The foot was not that high.
“It’s unlucky, an accident. I hope people see it for what it is.
“The referee was close to sending me to the stands so I had no power. I said to the fourth official that I didn’t think it was a red card.
“Sadio feels very bad about it. It’s hard for him. He is very, very upset – shocked about situation and also about the decision. Of course it had a big influence on the game.
“Will we appeal? The appeal would be another waste of time like the whole game.”
Guardiola didn’t want to get involved in the red card debate, but he acknowledged that the challenge wasn’t deliberate.
“I don’t know if it was a red card,” he said. “Mane didn’t see the keeper, he was looking at the ball. but the impact was huge. The doctor says there is nothing broken, but Ederson may miss the next game and he may not be so beautiful!”
Liverpool had swapped punches with City before the sending-off, but were cleaved open in the 25th minute when Kevin De Bruyne picked up a sideways header from Fernandinho and split their defence through the middle.
Aguero’s job was simply to waltz round Simon Mignolet and roll the ball into an empty net and that he can do with his eyes shut, becoming the highest non-European scorer in the Premier League.
Mo Salah should have equalised in the 31st minute, but he couldn’t find enough curl on his shot to beat Ederson, and both Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho were booked for cynical edge-of-the box challenges.
But the game’s knife-edge balance was ended by Mane’s dismissal.
Joel Matip launched a high ball forward, Mane beat the offside trap and Ederson charged from his box to bravely head clear.
Mane might have thought he was entitled to go for the ball, but his foot was way too high and he caught the keeper in the side of the head.
Moss had no hesitation in sending him off and the game was delayed for eight minutes. In the Sky studio Gary Neville disagreed. “I don’t think he needed to give a red card and I think he’s got it wrong,” he said.
Thierry Henry added: “I think I would have gone for it. If that happened in midfield it wouldn’t have been a red.”
Ederson was taken to the club’s medical institute at the adjacent Etihad Campus, where he was treated for concussion, but returned to the stadium later.
Five minutes into the lengthy stoppage time, Jesus headed in De Bruyne’s left-wing cross to end any realistic prospect of a Liverpool comeback.
Eight minutes after the interval, Aguero fastened on to a pass from Fernandinho, drew the keeper and teed up Jesus for a tap-in.
Mignolet did brilliantly to prevent Matip scoring a spectacular own goal, but he could do nothing about the fourth, a gloriously slick effort from substitute Sane in the 77th minute.
Aguero should have made it five three minutes from time, but again Mignolet’s excellent save kept his team just the right side of humiliation – for two minutes.
In the 90th minute, Sane curled his second into the top corner from just outside the box.