Penalty or not? Klopp and Webb at odds

In the latter stages of the Premier League, competition for top spot is fierce and the smallest decisions can have a huge impact. If referee Michael Oliver had awarded Liverpool a late penalty in the top-of-the-table clash between Liverpool and Manchester City, which would have led to the winning goal, Jürgen Klopp’s team would now be top of the table and Manchester City would be three points behind instead of just one. But Oliver decided against a penalty kick, even without consulting the VAR, which led to controversy.

Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp sharply criticized the decision and emphasized that such fouls are normally punished everywhere on the pitch. He suspected that the referees would find a justification for their actions, possibly with reference to the VAR rule, which only provides for interventions in the case of “clear and obvious” errors.

Howard Webb, a senior refereeing official, spoke a week later and gave his view. He explained that there were grounds for disagreement because, although there was contact, the match situation was not clear enough for the VAR to intervene. He emphasized that it was a discretionary decision and that the Key Match Incidents Panel, a body for evaluating controversial match scenes, agreed with Oliver by a majority – albeit by a narrow 3:2 vote.

So Klopp remained partially right in his assertion that those responsible would ultimately find justification for the decision.