MX23RW : Wednesday, June 12 18:22:17| >> :60:2589:2589:
[monks data]
Liverpool logo
Premier League | Gameweek 18
Dec 23, 2023 at 5.30pm UK
Anfield
Arsenal logo

Liverpool
1 - 1
Arsenal

Salah (29')
Endo (45+3'), Salah (84')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Magalhaes (4')
Saka (38'), Havertz (45+4'), Rice (49'), Nketiah (86'), White (90+1')

Jurgen Klopp blasts Martin Odegaard handball decision in Arsenal draw

Jurgen Klopp blasts Martin Odegaard handball decision in Arsenal draw
© Reuters
Jurgen Klopp believes that Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty for a "clear handball" by Martin Odegaard in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes that his side should have been awarded a penalty for a "clear handball" in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Saturday night.

The Anfield encounter pitted the league-leading Gunners against the third-placed Reds, who had been overtaken by Aston Villa courtesy of the Lions' stalemate with Sheffield United on Friday evening.

Klopp's side were caught cold with just four minutes on the board, though, as Arsenal's explosive start was rewarded when Gabriel Magalhaes headed home from Martin Odegaard's free kick.

Liverpool were only behind for 25 minutes, though, as a sumptuous cross-field pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Mohamed Salah, who comfortably evaded the attention of Oleksandr Zinchenko and fired home into the roof of the net after cutting inside onto his left foot.

However, the Reds felt that they should have been awarded a penalty for handball before the half-time whistle blew, as the ball clearly struck Odegaard's arm inside the penalty area, but their appeals were waved away.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring against Arsenal on December 23, 2023© Reuters

Odegaard appeared to be using his arm for leverage as he slipped on the turf, and the VAR room also concluded that the Arsenal captain was trying to move his arm towards his body rather than away from it.

Chris Kavanagh's on-field decision and the subsequent VAR review did not go down well with Klopp, who also took a swipe at former referee Dermot Gallagher, claiming that the 66-year-old will find a way to defend the officials' conclusion in his Ref Watch segment on Sky Sports News.

Speaking to the media after the game, Klopp said: "I think we all agree it was handball. I always wait until Mr Dermot explains it to me the next day what's really the case. He will find a way to explain to me that it wasn't really handball. For me, it was a clear handball."

The penalty call was just one of a plethora of moments which sparked a fiery Anfield crowd into life after Klopp criticised a lack of atmosphere in his side's 5-1 EFL Cup win over West Ham United in midweek.

The Reds boss got exactly the reaction he was looking for from the home crowd, hailing the Merseyside contingent as "outstanding" and crediting them with creating a "brutal" atmosphere for Arsenal to play in.

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring their third goal on December 20, 2023© Reuters

"Anfield was outstanding tonight, I think everybody felt it. It was brutal. It was really nice to see what we can do all together," Klopp said. "They had the better start, we came super back in the game.

"The reaction to the 1-0 was fantastic. We were super-intense, nearly too intense; we tried massively to influence from outside that we have to calm down in moments, that we have to mix it up a little bit better. That's what we did, created really good moments with that.

"I saw top teams, that's what I saw. What does that say about [Manchester] City, Tottenham [Hotspur], Aston Villa? Nothing. They are top teams as well, and others as well who maybe have a little bit less points but are there as well.

"I just saw two really good football teams, a really good game, super-intense. Top, top, top moments for us; could have won, maybe should have won. In all the interviews I had so far, I forgot completely Trent's [shot off the] crossbar. That's why I said, 'I'm not sure, they could have [won]' but with that chance we should have won the game."

Liverpool remain one point adrift of Arsenal in the table, but they have risen back into second place above Villa on goal difference ahead of a Boxing Day trip to Burnley.

Klopp also provided an update on Kostas Tsimikas and Luis Diaz after both players were forced off in the stalemate, confirming that the former is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a collarbone injury.

ID:532053:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6205:No Data Analysis info

Click here for more stories about Martin Odegaard

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Game History

How you voted: Liverpool vs Arsenal

Liverpool
45.2%
Draw
22.1%
Arsenal
32.7%
321
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas lies on the ground after sustaining an injury on December 23, 2023
Read Next:
Jurgen Klopp confirms broken collarbone for Kostas Tsimikas
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Euro 2024 fixtures header
Friday, June 14
 
8pm
Saturday, June 15
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 16
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Monday, June 17
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, June 18
 
5pm
Wednesday, June 19
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Thursday, June 20
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Group Stage
Spain
vs.
Italy
Friday, June 21
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Saturday, June 22
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 23
 
8pm
 
8pm
Monday, June 24
 
8pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, June 25
 
5pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
 
8pm
Wednesday, June 26
 
5pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
 
8pm
Saturday, June 29
Sunday, June 30
Monday, July 1
Tuesday, July 2
Friday, July 5
Saturday, July 6
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Germany Germany00000
2 Hungary Hungary00000
3 Scotland flag Scotland00000
4 Switzerland Switzerland00000

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Albania national flag Albania00000
2 Croatia Croatia00000
3 Italy Italy00000
4 Spain Spain00000

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Denmark Denmark00000
2 England flag England00000
3 Serbia Serbia00000
4 Slovenia Slovenia00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Austria Austria00000
2 France France00000
3 Netherlands Netherlands00000
4 Poland Poland00000

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Belgium Belgium00000
2 Romania Romania00000
3 Slovakia Slovakia00000
4 Ukraine Ukraine00000

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Czech Republic Czech Republic00000
2 Georgia Georgia00000
3 Portugal Portugal00000
4 Turkey Turkey00000


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!