Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insisted he noticed nothing fallacious with Darwin Nunez’s controversial stoppage-time winner at Nottingham Forest.
Nunez marked his return from damage by heading residence within the ninth minute of time added on to seal a 1-0 win, which lifted his facet 4 factors clear on the prime of the Premier League.
However the Uruguay worldwide’s last-gasp effort left Forest’s gamers, workers and followers livid on the closing whistle after referee Paul Tierney had stopped play earlier than the build-up to Liverpool’s winner for an obvious head damage to Ibrahima Konate.
Tierney blew with Forest in possession on the sting of Liverpool’s space and after Konate had rapidly recovered, the official dropped the ball to visiting goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who then began the transfer that led to his facet’s dramatic winner.
Klopp stated: “It occurred precisely the identical within the first half didn’t it? Precisely the identical, simply the opposite manner spherical.
“I accepted it could occur like that as a result of it occurred within the first half. If it didn’t occur within the first half, I might have requested the query as properly.
“I might assume that’s the rule, I don’t know. However as a result of it occurred twice and received dealt with precisely the identical, I don’t actually see their causes for a dialogue.”
Earlier within the sport, Tierney halted a Liverpool assault after Forest skipper Ryan Yates was felled by Harvey Elliott’s shot and play resumed with residence goalkeeper Matz Sels taking possession.
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Klopp stated: “I perceive 100 per cent the thrill and the anger of Nottingham, after all, they fought for the whole lot. However it occurred twice the identical and was constant.”
Nunez’s last-gasp effort secured Liverpool their first league win on the Metropolis Floor in nearly 40 years and 14 matches to heap the stress on Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal, who play on Sunday and Monday respectively.
Klopp stated it had been an enormous effort from his injury-hit squad, who’ve registered six straight wins in all competitions, together with final Sunday’s League Cup closing win over Chelsea.
“4 video games in 11 days, come on. 5 in 15,” Klopp added. “It’s actually robust. With our squad state of affairs it’s super-tough and the way the boys fought via that’s actually particular.
“The fourth sport was the hardest. It was an unbelievable effort the boys put in. A correct, correct shift.
“In the event you had requested me 12 days in the past if it was attainable to win all 4 video games, I’d have stated no.”
Forest’s gamers and workers surrounded Tierney on the closing whistle, with coach Steven Reid proven a pink card, whereas boss Nuno Espirito Santo refused to touch upon the incident after the ultimate whistle.
Forest later dismissed studies that proprietor Evangelos Marinakis had chased Tierney down the tunnel.
Nuno stated: “I cannot touch upon the referee. We performed an excellent sport in opposition to an excellent group, implausible gamers and supervisor and we restricted them.
“That they had probabilities, we had probabilities, it was sport of soccer. We had clear probabilities to do higher, to enhance. We must always have been extra scientific.
“I’m pleased with the boys as a result of they labored very laborious. They mixed, they helped one another, they defend the field, they did two-on-ones – they did the whole lot. However we are able to enhance.”
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