Jurgen Klopp has told BBC Sport Liverpool were ‘lucky’ Trent Alexander-Arnold made a last-ditch tackle on Newcastle United forward Ryan Fraser during their 3-1 win on Thursday.
Mohamed Salah scored his 22nd goal of the season so far between strikes from Diogo Jota and Alexander-Arnold as the Reds came from behind to win. The Anfield result also closed Manchester City’s lead at the top of the Premier League back to a single point.
Jonjo Shelvey had put the Magpies ahead against his former side after seven-minutes. But Sadio Mane seized on the midfielder’s poor back pass before Salah hit home the rebound.
Jota had already pulled Klopp’s side back level in controversial circumstances after referee Mike Dean waved play on as two Newcastle players laid stricken with injuries. Alexander-Arnold later rounded out the scoring with a 25-yard thunderbolt from the edge of the box.
Klopp issues ‘lucky’ Liverpool verdict on Newcastle penalty shout
But before Alexander-Arnold crashed the ball into the Newcastle net, the Liverpool ace produced a last-ditch tackle to deny Fraser a chance to pull Eddie Howe’s visiting side level.
Jacob Murphy met Allan Saint-Maximin’s pass to curl in a low cross toward Fraser. But as he shaped to shoot, Alexander-Arnold swept in from behind to toe-poke the ball at the last.
Klopp admits Liverpool were ‘lucky’ Alexander-Arnold made a recovering tackle in time to stop Fraser scoring Newcastle’s second. Yet the German also notes his players should not have gifted the winger a chance to level the scoreline.
“Lucky! Unfortunately, you have to say that because it should not come in a situation where Trent has to make a sliding tackle from the wrong side,” Klopp said.
“I hate those situations, we should have sorted that earlier. If we concede a penalty or goal then it is unlikely, he would score in the other situation. You have to sort the important situations and then you are ready for the nice ones as well.”
Newcastle also felt Alexander-Arnold’s tackle on Fraser should have seen Dean award them a penalty at Liverpool. But he and VAR Simon Hooper deemed the tackle to have been fair.
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