Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes referee Stuart Atwell should explain why Tottenham matchwinner Lucas Bergvall was not sent off before scoring late on against the Reds
Arne Slot claimed the VAR experiment should have explained why Tottenham match winner Lucas Bergvall was not sent off.
Tottenham hero Bergvall had already been booked and was then lucky to escape a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas just before he got the 86th minute winner.
Referee Stuart Attwell had used the stadium microphone to explain to the fans Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke had been offside as part of the Carabao Cup VAR trial.
Liverpool boss Slot said: “It would be more interesting for everyone if he explained why there wasn’t a second yellow card. The decision is made, you can’t change it and when he didn’t give the second yellow nobody thought it would have such a big impact 30 seconds later.
“I haven’t asked him but I’m 99.99 per cent sure that when Bergvall scored he was probably thinking: ‘this can’t be happening.’ Also for him this is far from ideal.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk added: “The referee made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. He thinks he didn’t but it was quite obvious I think and everyone on the sidelines knew it was supposed to be a yellow.”
Slot insisted Liverpool can still turn round the result in the second leg as his side lost to Tottenham just 17 days after thrashing them 6-3.
“Two games are never the same and I never thought it would be another 6-3,” said Slot. “But if you are going to lose the best way is to lose 1-0 and with the chance to turn it around in another game.”
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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou poked fun at anyone doubting his promise to win a trophy in his second season as they chase their first trophy since 2008. Postecoglou said: “People can keep mocking me about it but we will see.”
The Spurs boss also insisted that everyone had got his “all things being equal” comments wrong. “They were taken the wrong way, they were not about the officials. I can see why Arne is disappointed and I would be too. But apparently they are applying the rules.
“There’s a lot of confusion at the moment. Why isn’t anyone speaking out? You’ve got a song, ‘It’s Coming Home’ and it’s taken an Aussie from the other side of the world to say something
“It’s been an emotional time, mate. I am a human being. I don’t feel great that people at this club, our supporters, don’t have that feeling of victory. It weighs heavily on me.”
Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur had to be stretchered off after collapsing in the first half and Postecoglou added: “We cannot speculate what happened. It was worrying and always a concern but from what I know hopefully he will be OK.”
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