Jurgen Klopp says that he and Pep Guardiola agreed about the performance of referee Anthony Taylor during Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Pep and I agreed on the touchline, we did not understand the challenges that were allowed and all these kind of things, why would you do it, [for] both sides. Let’s play football, the game would not have been a little bit worse. But we just have to take that we [managers] are on the weak side, we have no power at all, we just stand there, and in this moment we have something switched off – I’m not proud of that, but it’s the clearest foul I’ve ever seen in front of the linesman and he says play-on. And I look in your face [speaking directly to the interviewer] and I see you are not bothered about that, that’s what I don’t understand, that other people don’t talk about it. How can you let this situation go? It’s clear he pulls him down! And that’s the difference – you are here to just watch the game, we are involved. Sometimes we get a bit carried away, that’s what happened to me in this moment.”
One point where Klopp and Guardiola will disagree is the disallowed Foden goal. Guardiola was furious when Taylor viewed the goal on his pitchside monitor, and sarcastically encouraged the home supporters to raise the volume once the decision went Liverpool’s way. Even if the call did benefit his side, Klopp still wasn’t happy.
Jurgen Klopp said: “On VAR he only watched how Haaland pulled Fabinho down, but Ali [Alisson] has his hand on the ball. In the next situation, if he doesn’t see that it’s a goal. Unbelievable, but it was a clear foul as Alisson has one hand on the ball. So, that’s the life we live.”
