Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has defended under-fire goalkeeper Alisson Becker following his high-profile error in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Brazilian shot-stopper gave Julen Lopetegui‘s side their first goal on a plate at Anfield, playing the ball straight to Goncalo Guedes, who made no mistake from close range.
Liverpool turned the game on its head through Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, but Alisson did not cover himself in glory in the second half either, as Hwang Hee-chan netted through his legs to equalise for the visitors.
After Wolves centre-back Toti had a late winner controversially disallowed for offside, the two managers shook hands on a four-goal draw ahead of an imminent replay at Molineux.
Speaking to ITV after the game, Klopp refused to point the finger at Alisson after his howler in the opening period, saying: “It was a good start, a dominant start.
“We played really good football moments and then we concede. The goal should not happen, but we all know how often Ali saves our backsides.”
Elaborating on the result in his post-game press conference, Klopp added: “You could see the impact on the game; they got more confident. We played kind of OK, not really convincing that you thought, ‘OK, it will happen immediately.’
“The goal we scored was outstanding, outstanding, and we had a few really good balls we played, a few good situations where we played in their formation. But for the whole game I thought we didn’t win enough challenges, to be honest.
“It was not an open game, but nothing really happened a lot, but we still kept not winning these challenges, like around the second goal when I think we were in possession and had the ball, gave the ball away and then they go in our box without a real challenge.
“That’s difficult. The ball comes in and it’s difficult. It was unlucky, Ibou is there but it hits Hwang and then the ball rolls over the line. Unlucky, 2-2 and that was the result.”
While Toti was in an onside position before receiving the ball for his disallowed goal, the assistant referee believed that Matheus Nunes was offside when receiving the ball back from a corner.
The absence of available camera angles meant that VAR did not have enough clear-cut evidence to overturn the decision, and Klopp sympathised with his West Midlands counterparts over the decision.
“I don’t really know. On the pitch I couldn’t see it, so I had no idea. For me, I thought it’s a goal. It was the player in the left corner who might have been offside,” Klopp added.
“We have one angle, which I saw in the dressing room, where it could be offside but I would not swear on it, or however you say that, but it could be. But I think this angle the VAR didn’t have, if I’m right, that’s what I heard.
“There is a similar situation in the Arsenal game where one angle was missing and in the end everybody thought it was [a] clear offside, but we couldn’t prove it because the angle isn’t there. I don’t know how these things can happen, but it happened.
“So, I understand the frustration of Wolves because you want to have the right decision in these moments, like we wanted the right decision back then. But I cannot say anything about it because I have only saw one camera perspective and that’s it.”
The reigning FA Cup holders return to Premier League action away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday before their replay with Wolves at Molineux on January 17.
Source: www.sportsmole.co.uk
