Jurgen Klopp's Verdict on Alexis Mac Allister Penalty Appeal: Definitely a Foul

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's manager, has expressed dissatisfaction over the decision not to award his team a penalty during stoppage time. Klopp insists that Alexis Mac Allister was undeniably fouled by Jeremy Doku.

This weekend witnessed the final showdown in the Premier League between Liverpool, managed by Klopp, and Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, putting a close to their near decade-long rivalry that spans across the two clubs and managers.

The final battle did not disappoint fans, delivering quality, excitement, and a fair share of controversy.

Goals were delivered by John Stones of Manchester City and Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, who successfully took a penalty kick that kicked off the second half of the game. Despite these marvelous performances, Liverpool's fans were left unsatisfied, feeling deprived of a possible victory, which could have materialized had they been allowed a late penalty kick.

A 98th-minute high kick from Jeremy Doku visibly impacted Mac Allister on the chest inside the penalty box. This led many fans to hope that a penalty would be awarded to Liverpool after a VAR review. However, the hopes were dashed when Michael Oliver, after a brief check, decided not to overturn the decision on awarding a penalty kick. The match thus ended in a 1-1 draw.

In a post-match conversation with Sky Sports, Klopp was questioned about the incident. He reiterated his belief that what happened was indeed a foul

Klopp said, 'This incident is worth discussing. Wouldn't you have awarded a penalty in such a situation?' He went on to question the effectiveness of VAR, arguing that its purpose is to ensure correct decisions are made in all aspects of the game. He asserted that this was most certainly a foul worthy of a penalty and also merited a yellow card.

He further argued, 'Had the foul been severe with the ball not in the vicinity, it could've been more dangerous.' He expressed his conviction that this was a penalty situation which would've been agreed upon by anyone in the football world.

The drawn game implies that Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal now have a narrow lead of just one point as they head into the final ten matches of the 2023/24 Premier League season.