Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Aaron Cresswell should have been sent off
According to Liverpool Echo, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes West Ham Untied star Aaron Cresswell should have been sent off for his rash tackle against Jordan Henderson.
In an attempt to recover the ball, Cresswell hit Jordan Henderson’s right leg during the first quarter of the game. Afterwards, the Liverpool captain required medical treatment for the rather unnecessary roughness.
The on-field referee Craig Pawson refrained from any action and initially rejected a free kick for the foul. But then the Video referee intervened and checked the incident.
Video Assistant Referee Stuart Attwell checked the clip several times but didn’t feel the need to change Pawson’s decision. According to Mirror, The VAR official concluded that his challenge on Jordan Henderson ‘didn’t have the required force or intensity.
Klopp however saw it differently. The German manager saw the replay afterwards on television and gave a verdict on the possible red card situation, and he believes that the West Ham United player should have been heavily penalized for the challenge.
“I saw only the situation with Aaron and Hendo now, and the way I saw it now, it’s a clear red card. There’s no discussion possible.”
Even though Cresswell had contact with the ball in, the Reds’ manager believes it was still enough for a red card. He also suggested that the player’s leg was facing upwards and hit the Liverpool captain’s higher shin area, a punishable offence.
“I don’t know if they (the officials) will probably say it’s because he touched the ball beforehand, but (it was) a reckless challenge. You can touch whatever you want before, but you cannot control your leg that much if you hit your opponent high up the leg on the shin.”
The challenge occurred just after the first goal of the Hammers. A red card could have changed the course of the match as West Ham would had to play the remainder game with ten men. Liverpool forwards could have exploited the advantage in their favour.
But it wasn’t the case, and with Pablo Fornals’ and Kurt Zouma’s goals, West Ham secured a hard-fought 3-2 win. The Irons pushed the Mersyside team to the 4th position after ending their 25 games unbeaten run on the night.
