Jurgen Klopp lashed out at the ‘insane’ decision to rule out Harvey Elliott’s goal during Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Burnley.
The Reds moved temporarily back to the top of the Premier League with the win at Turf Moor, but Klopp was far from pleased with the officiating.
Elliott looked to have put Liverpool two goals to the good early in the second half, when he side-footed Ryan Gravenberch‘s cross past James Trafford with a smart finish.
But after a lengthy VAR review the goal was ruled out by referee Paul Tierney after Mohamed Salah was adjudged to have been in an offside position and impeding Trafford’s view.
While the Egyptian was partially in front of the Burnley goalkeeper, replays showed Clarets defender Jordan Beyer pushing him into Trafford’s line of sight just as Elliott struck the ball.
Jurgen Klopp lashed out at the ‘insane’ decision to rule out Harvey Elliott’s goal
Referee Paul Tierney ruled out the goal after a lengthy VAR check at Turf Moor
Elliott thought he’d put Liverpool 2-0 up against Burnley on Boxing Day
‘It’s insane – honestly,’ Klopp said of the decision.
‘This man [the referee] if he never played football, then it can happen. You think: “Offside rule, let me see. Page seven, there’s somebody between him and the goalie” – that’s ridiculous.
‘Why do referees create their own view on something? We all need referees, but we need them with the right interpretation of the rules.
‘How can you make this situation not a goal? That’s a clear goal.’
Elliott’s disallowed goal came just three days after Martin Odegaard escaped punishment for handling the ball in the box during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Anfield.
The Norwegian slipped and it looked as though his arm fell onto the ball as he tried to turn, but referee Chris Kavanagh waved away Liverpool’s appeals and VAR official David Coote agreed with the on-field decision.
A side-angle shot showed Salah was in Trafford’s line of sight as Elliott struck the ball
PGMOL subsequently explained to Sky Sports there reason no penalty was given, was that ‘Odegaard’s arm is moving towards the body and not the ball as he goes down.’
Elliott’s disallowed goal ultimately did not prevent Liverpool from picking up all the three points as Diogo Jota sealed the win with a late goal, after Darwin Nunez had put the Reds in front early in the first half.
The win means Liverpool returned to the top of the table at least until Arsenal host West Ham on Thursday night.
And Klopp, whose side next play on New Year’s Day when they face Newcastle at Anfield, praised his team for being top of the league without being ‘perfect’ in the first half of the season.
‘The first part of the season has not been perfect but absolutely alright,’ he said.
‘We can not now be more than a point away from the top after this week’s games – that’s within punching distance.
‘Whatever the outside world thinks, it is really intense to play four matches in 10 days. It’s been a really busy period.
‘It’s nice to be top. I won’t raise my arms because it will probably changed but to have 42 points is really pleasing.’