The Man City vs Liverpool battle on Sunday in the English Premier League ended up in the eye of controversy as a rough injury time Jeremy Doku challenge on Mac Allister in his penalty box was adjudged to not be a penalty causing Jurgen Klopp to go ballistic in his post-match conference as he spoke on the Doku challenge.
Liverpool vs Man City: An enthralling open-ended game
Matchday 28 saw Liverpool take on Manchester City at Anfield in a battle at the top of the table. The game started at high tempo with both clubs trying to suffocate the other for space. Despite their best attempts both Liverpool and City couldn’t create meaningful chances initially. However, a fantastic corner from Kevin De Bruyne in the 23rd minute saw John Stones break away from his man and send the ball into the back of Liverpool’s goal with an easy tap-in. After the goal, City controlled the game till half-time.
When Liverpool came back out of the tunnel, the home side looked certainly more dangerous. The halftime team talk by Klopp certainly paid off as only five minutes into the half, Liverpool won a penalty. Alexis Mac Allister took the penalty and equalized for Liverpool. Liverpool dominated the game thereon. The Merseyside club created numerous chances but unfortunately failed to score any of them.
The scoreline read 1-1 as the game made its way into the eight minutes of added-on injury time. Liverpool kept pushing to find a goal and as Mac Allister charged to win a loose ball in City’s penalty box, Jeremy Doku came out to challenge for the ball and caught the Argentinian midfielder on the chest. Despite the risky challenge by Doku, the challenge wasn’t deemed to be a penalty by VAR. With that controversial decision, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Moving forward with Jurgen Klopp’s press conference, the last-minute call enraged Liverpool fans, and an angry Jurgen Klopp spoke about the Doku challenge in the post-match conference
Jurgen Klopp on Doku Challenge: “It’s a foul.”
The decision to not award Liverpool a penalty clearly enraged the Anfield audience and the boss of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp. Speaking in a post-match conference, Jurgen Klopp spoke on the Doku challenge on Mac Allister. The German gaffer said, “Clear penalty for all football people on this planet. “In all positions on the pitch, it’s a foul and a yellow card too”.
While City fans may not agree with what Klopp had to say on the Doku challenge, they will certainly feel lucky to escape the game without a penalty being awarded to Liverpool. The 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Man City saw Arsenal go top of the table with 64 points, with Liverpool 2nd with the same points tally. The draw meant Man City missed out on the chance of securing three points and going top of the table. Man City are now in 3rd place with 63 points, only one point behind Arsenal and Liverpool.
Also Read: Liverpool vs Manchester City Player Ratings as John Stones and Virgil van Dijk impress