Jurgen Klopp’s discontent with the officiating during Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham is likely to intensify after it emerged the Premier League’s Independent adjudicators believe Diogo Jota should not have been sent off.
The Portuguese striker saw red for two cautions in his side’s 2-1 defeat, meaning Klopp’s side played the final 27 minutes with nine men.
Klopp is pushing for the match to be replayed because of the unique situation regarding the failure to award Luis Diaz’s 34th minute goal.
That controversy has overshadowed other contentious incidents in the game, which included red cards to Curtis Jones and Jota. An appeal against Jones’ three-match ban failed this week.
Liverpool have no means to appeal Jota’s second half dismissal for two yellow cards.
The Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel assessed referee Simon Hooper’s decision to hand a second caution to Jota in the 69th minute after a foul on Spurs’ Destiny Udogie.
Liverpool have now learned the panel’s report of last week’s game felt Jota was harshly dealt with. According to ESPN, the report stated that “the majority deemed the decision as incorrect as they felt it did not meet the threshold for a yellow card”.
It is suggested that five members of the panel voted 3-2 against the decision to book Jota. The panel consists of three ex-players or coaches and a Premier League and PGMOL representative.
Klopp said on Wednesday he believed the Jota red card was one of several poor decisions.
Liverpool had to play the final 21 minutes plus six minutes of added time with eight outfield players, conceding a winning goal in the 96th minute.
“Diogo Jota got two yellow cards for not touching a player once. That is unprecedented as well I would say,” said Klopp.
The PGMOL said in a statement last weekend that “standards fell short of expectations” during the contentious game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, referencing the failure to award Diaz’s goal.
Liverpool have no avenues through which to appeal Jota’s punishment. He is available for their Europa League match against Union Saint-Gilloise but suspended for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Brighton.
