"Clear red cards not given against us" - Jurgen Klopp believes 'blatant' refereeing blunders cost Liverpool Premier League title last season

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that his team lost the 2021-22 Premier League title due to dubious refereeing decisions.

Manchester City lifted their fourth domestic title in the past five years last season after beating Liverpool to the crown by just one point. Despite losing just two Premier League matches in the entire campaign, the Reds were left ruing on the final matchday.

📖 How the 2021/22 #PL title race unfolded...

🏆 @ManCity 🏆 https://t.co/8CRBXvRQzj

Pep Guardiola's side won the title in dramatic fashion after coming back from two goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on the last day of the 2021-22 season. But Klopp believes that things could have been different if some decisions had gone his team's way.

Speaking to Sport 1, the 55-year-old tactician said:

"I don’t have any problems with anyone from City. They deserved it just as much as we deserved it. What comes up in a moment like that: a few things happened over the season when a few things went against us, so I was thinking on the day: Let's hope it won’t be decisive in the end. There were really blatant refereeing decisions."

He continued:

"You keep thinking, what went in our favour? Completely without club glasses. We were lucky once not to get a penalty against us. But we were already leading 2-0. Otherwise – nothing. And against us? Clear handball penalties, penalties not given. Clear red cards not given against us, so for the opponent. That comes up at this moment."

He added:

"It's human to think for a moment. But I don't carry that around for long. No matter how Manchester City get the result, I accepted it – it's deserved. And the other way round quite the same. And I can say: today I would be sitting here and wouldn't feel one bit different if I had become champion and won the Champions League for a second time."

Liverpool are currently seventh in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with nine points from six games. The club will next take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Saturday (September 10).

Things are looking close at the 🔝 of the #PL table 👀 https://t.co/IyLYsAVGN7

Liverpool slump to humiliating 4-1 loss at Napoli in UCL group stage opener

Liverpool opened their 2022-23 UEFA Champions League campaign on a disastrous note, falling to a 4-1 defeat against Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday (September 7).

Piotr Zielinski scored twice on the opposite sides of the break while Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone scored once each. Luis Diaz pulled one back in the second half of the Group A fixture.