A BRIDGE TOO VAR
Klopp waves white flag: ‘Ref got big calls right’ as THREE
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 as visitors to the Amex Stadium.
But that was before Scotland international Robertson missed the ball with an attempted clearance in added time, catching Danny Welbeck’s foot in the process instead. There were no appeals and, initially, no whistle from referee Stuart Attwell either.
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 spot-kick, a deserved share of the spoils, slamming it past Kop stopper Alisson.
All of which left Jurgen Klopp’s title holders, who also had two goals chalked off by VAR for offside, only one point clear of the pack overnight – rather than three points.
Amazingly, given his ranting and raving all week about fixture overload, Liverpool boss Klopp refused to condemn Stockley Park for robbing his Reds here.
Even when he was told that Seagulls striker Welbeck had admitted it was a “soft penalty”, the German kept his cool – albeit with a touch of sarcasm. Klopp said: “I’m saying it was the right decision.
“The referee got those 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.
“The performance was good – very good. We had no problems after halftime apart from dropping deeper because we had a problem with our energy.”
The Reds had slipped up in the Champions League against Atalanta in midweek – with a very rare home defeat – but not many people expected anything but an awayday romp on the South Coast.
Sure Brighton ended a sevengame winless run seven days earlier with a scrappy 2- 1 success at Aston Villa, yet their recent record against the Reds was nothing short of atrocious.
In fact, you would be hard pushed to find a ground – other than their own fortress Anfield – where Liverpool enjoy more success than at this one.
Add to that their own decent league form since a crazy 7-2 thumping at Aston Villa – the
The decision on Mo’s was really close. We are used to armpits and badges being offside – here it was a toe, and that’s okay
Reds had taken 11 points from the last 15 available – and the chips were stacked in the visitors’ favour.
Perhaps, the one concern was their manager’s constant snipes about fatigue might actually get to his own players and give them an excuse to ease up.
Not that there was any hint of a foot-off-the-pedal approach during a blistering opening.
Liverpool should have been two-up inside five minutes as Jota and Salah wasted chances.
Having failed to get this road show off to a flier, Liverpool then allowed Graham Potter’s troops to grow in confidence and become a genuine menace
– and Brighton should have been celebrating at least one goal before the break.
Firstly, Aaron Connolly blazed wide in a one-on-one with Alisson.
Then Maupay, subbed with an injury moments later, did the same from the spot after young 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 £ 41million Liverpool forward wriggled free to fire inside the e post. If sub Mane’s 80th- minute header had ad stood, the Reds would ld have been out of sight ht – and the penalty drama ama which followed would have been irrelevant. vant.
Ex- Manchester nchester
Uni ted st str r iker Welbe c k , who joined Brighton ghton in August from Watford, said: aid: “The boss said we must not go down wn without a fight.
“It was a soft penalty, but we’ll take it.” ...SCREEN WIPED 2 Mane made it 2-0 and then VAR said he didn’t