Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Klopp makes big Liverpool request as he claims referee ‘made no sense’

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during their 3-2 defeat to West Ham in 2021

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants his forwards to take their chances following the 3-2 defeat to David Moyes’ West Ham.

The Reds were leapfrogged by their opponents at the London Stadium as they moved down to fourth in the Premier League table. The Hammers, meanwhile, continue their march – which seems to have no sign of slowing down.

West Ham sent their crowd wild with a goal inside 5 minutes. Pablo Fornals whipped a corner in and Alisson failed to deal with it, under intense pressure from Angelo Ogbonna. The Brazilian ended up punching the ball into his own net.

Klopp shouted for a foul on Alisson but was left angry when the referee waved Liverpool’s claims away.

The away side pulled one back shortly before half-time thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman beat Lukasz Fabianski with a great free-kick which curled into the top corner.

West Ham threatened to score again after the interval when substitute Craig Dawson, on for the injured Ogbonna, headed against the bar. The Irons did manage to get their goal not long afterwards. Sadio Mane was dispossessed and Jarrod Bowen went off on a great run before sending Fornals through. He scuffed his shot but still managed to beat Alisson.

Summer signing Kurt Zouma then gave Moyes’ men a two-goal cushion when he converted a Bowen corner at the back post.

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Liverpool got a goal back through Divock Origi late on but could not find another as they left east London empty handed.

At full-time, Klopp told reporters he wanted ‘more clinical finishing’. “Key moments today. The goals and some situations have to go another way,” he said (via BBC Sport). “The first goal they score is a foul on the goalkeeper, the arm goes into Alisson’s arm so how can he catch it? That makes no sense. We scored the equaliser and fully controlled the game and they only went for the counter.

“Second half we did not play as clear but over the whole 90 minutes I wished we were more clinical finishers. They do well on the counter, they have quality and the second set-piece we concede.”

Klopp: ‘You need normal decisions from a ref’

The German also questioned the ref’s decision not to send off Aaron Cresswell. He got the ball in a challenge with Jordan Henderson but caught the skipper on the knee afterwards.

“Aaron Cresswell’s was a reckless challenge on Jordan, even when he touched the ball before you have to control your body. Two situations which were influential but West Ham did not make the decisions and they won the game.

“People will say I am making excuses but I am calm. You need normal decisions from a referee and he did not do that.

“We lost too many balls that is why they had counter-attacks. At 1-1 we had them were we wanted. It looked like we lost a bit of patience, we had a lot of situations where we got to the touchline but could not make it count.”

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