'For ALL football people, it's a penalty' - Klopp in disbelief at failure to give Mac Allister spot kick
Jurgen Klopp was left bewildered by the decision to not award a penalty at the end of Liverpool’s crucial top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds were in the ascendency after an incredible second-half fightback, culminating in a last-minute penalty shout for an incident involving Jeremy Doku and Alexis Mac Allister.
With the ball between the two players, Doku attempted to play it but ended up kicking Mac Allister square in the chest.
Referee Michael Oliver declined to give the penalty and there followed a quick VAR check.
However, that too came back negative for Liverpool, with the decision potentially costing the Merseysiders two vital points in the title race.
Klopp’s team are second in the table, behind Arsenal only on goal difference, and could have benefitted from the awarding of a penalty here.
Mac Allister had earlier fired the Reds level from the spot when Ederson upended Darwin Nunez inside the area, after John Stones put City in the lead, and there was little doubt in the mind of the manager that a second spot-kick should have been awarded.
He approached Oliver at the final whistle to go through the referee’s reasoning for not giving the penalty, and explained his thinking to Sky Sports afterwards.
“I think you'd agree that this situation in all positions on the pitch it's 100 percent foul. It's 100 percent a foul and it's a yellow card.
“He hit the ball but he only can hit the ball because his foot is right there, but if the ball is not there he kills him. The foot has nothing to do with it, that's how it is. It's as easy as that.
“It's a penalty for all football people on the planet. If you think it's not one, then maybe you are not a football person.”