Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp fell to his knees in amazement after referee Anthony Taylor’s judgment in his team’s Premier League opener at Chelsea.
A tense match concluded 1-1 at Stamford Bridge after Luis Diaz’s early opener for the Reds was cancelled out by the hosts’ debutant Axel Disasi. Mohamed Salah and Ben Chilwell both had goals disallowed for offside in a tense first half in which both teams were furious.
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Nonetheless, the points shared were a fair result in what was a remarkable eighth successive draw between the two sides. Both teams looked lively moving forward in a frenetic match, with both displaying defensive faults.
The officials made numerous close calls throughout the game, including the disallowed goals, with Liverpool also having a good penalty shout in the second half after the ball looked to contact Blues forward Nicolas Jackson’s hand.
However, it was a free-kick decision on the halfway line that enraged Klopp, who threw his hands up in the air before collapsing to the ground in disbelief. The German boss’s reaction was dramatic, indicating his annoyance with the interaction.
Taylor called a foul on new Reds acquisition Dominik Szobozlai following a clash with new Chelsea defender Disasi, who had equalized in the first half. As the rest of the visitors bench objected, Klopp went to his knees.
In the end, it was a result that both teams would have preferred before the game. This was Mauricio Pochettino’s first game as Chelsea manager, and the performance reflected both the enthusiasm behind the scenes and the work that still to be done at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues still need to boost their midfield and are chasing deals for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both of whom have been linked with the Reds, who are looking to add to their squad in the coming weeks.
Both sides will be vying for a top-four finish this season after missing out last year, with Chelsea having no European football this season and Liverpool having to settle for a place in the Europa League.