Ian Wright believes that Jurgen Klopp had every right to be ‘vexed’ over one refereeing decision during Liverpool’s defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
The result was compounded by Ibrahima Konate being sent off for two bookable offences, and the Reds manager was unhappy that Gabriel Magalhaes didn’t follow the Frenchman down the tunnel a few minutes later when, already on a yellow card, he pulled back Darwin Nunez in the middle of the park.
Speaking on his Wright’s House podcast, the BBC pundit gave his view on the two yellows shown to our number 5, who was booked for fouls on Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard, and compared those incidents to what the Gunners centre-back did to the Uruguay striker in the closing minutes.
Wright stated: “I thought the first one could have easily been… I think that the aggressiveness in which he threw him down, I’d have liked the referee to have said there ‘calm down’.
“This is what I’m saying about Kai – he had them, he was in them, he was causing problems to the point where you look at him and Konate to the point where he was just awkward around him. The referee could have said ‘I’m keeping an eye’, because the next one you’re thinking ‘could he have even got out of the way’. It’s quite harsh.
“But, you do [have to send Gabriel off]. His foul on Nunez in the centre circle was a booking and he was already on one. I think that’s why Klopp was vexed. I’d be vexed with that.”
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First of all, we readily acknowledge that Arsenal were full value for their win yesterday on the balance of play, and Liverpool deserved nothing after the ridiculously cheap manner in which we gave away the two second-half goals.
However, even if a red card for Gabriel would probably have come too late in the match to make any great difference, that doesn’t mean we should merely overlook potential refereeing talking points when they arise.
If Anthony Taylor was to give Konate his marching orders for the two fouls which elicited bookings, then he surely ought to have administered a second yellow card to the Brazilian centre-back as well.
We don’t necessarily want players being sent off without good reason, but Klopp’s post-match grievances over the clear lack of consistency were justified.
Unfortunately Liverpool will be without the Frenchman against Burnley next weekend, but at least we have a quality defender in Jarell Quansah to come in and take his place.