Jurgen Klopp was left bemused at the decision not to penalise Martin Odegaard for handball in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
The Reds were trailing to Gabriel’s early opener when the Gunners captain handled the ball in his own penalty area, stopping Mohamed Salah getting through on goal in the process. The Egyptian would later equalise, but Liverpool were still left feeling aggrieved at not being awarded a spot-kick.
Had they beaten Arsenal, the Reds would have moved top of the Premier League. Instead, they had to settle for leapfrogging Aston Villa back into second place following their stalemate with the Gunners.
And having not seen Odegaard’s handball in-game, Klopp took a tongue-in-cheek dig at former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, who now appears on Sky Sports News’ Ref Watch segment every week, when assessing the decision not to award Liverpool a penalty.
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“I didn’t see it in the game, I saw it after the game,” the Reds boss told reporters. “I think we all agree of course (it’s) handball. But I wait.
“I always wait until Mr. Dermot (Gallagher) explains it (to) me the next day, what’s really the case. He will find a way to explain to me that it was not handball.
“I don’t know. For me, it’s a clear handball. I have no idea if it would influence the result or not. I don’t even know exactly when it was because I only saw it after the game and not in the game.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
