This archive report was first published on 29 August 2021.
On August 28, 2021, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp reflected on the 1-1 draw against Chelsea, where a red card given to Chelsea's Reece James had a significant impact on the game.
Referee Anthony Taylor sent off James after reviewing a goal-line clearance and awarding a penalty, which Liverpool's Mohamed Salah converted to cancel out Kai Havertz's opener.
Klopp felt that the red card was a clear handball, but he believed that the double punishment of a red card and a penalty had spoiled the game.
"I never liked double punishment but if somebody ever listened to me about rule changes or rules, a lot of things would look completely different," Klopp said.
He added that the red card had changed the dynamics of the game, making it difficult for his team to create scoring opportunities against nine defenders.
Despite the disappointment, Klopp praised the performance of both teams, saying that it was a great first half and a good second half, despite the result.
He also expressed concern over the injury to Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino, who had to be substituted before the break due to a hamstring problem.
"Bobby felt his hamstring, came and told us so we had to prepare the change. Bobby is not one who raises the hand when he doesn’t feel anything," Klopp said.
