Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku has opened up on his controversial challenge on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister. Allister was subjected to a 99th-minute chest-high challenge by Doku but the referee didn’t gave the penalty, which irked Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The on-field referee Michael Oliver was not sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR official Stuart Attwell. Doku said it wasn’t a penalty but he could have dealt with the challenge in a better way.
Doku said via the Metro, “It was a risky challenge. I could have dealt with it differently. I still believe it wasn’t a penalty but I know some other referees would have given it. But it wasn’t a penalty so I was a happy. Was I worried? For a moment when they were looking at the VAR and maybe looking for a penalty. For me is wasn’t a penalty, but I understand why some people are angry and why the Liverpool fans believe it was a penalty.”
In the end, Manchester City and Liverpool shared a point in that game after John Stones and Alexis Mac Allister scored for their respective teams.
Klopp had lashed out at the referee for not awarding them the penalty.
“Why would the guy in the VAR room think that’s not clear and obvious?” Klopp said. “What did he have for lunch?”
“It was 100 percent a penalty. They [officials] will find an explanation. It was 100 percent foul in all areas of the pitch and probably a yellow card.
“Somebody will tell me how it was not a penalty, or Howard [Webb, head of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd.] will call me tomorrow and say he is sorry. These are the two possible outcomes and both things will not change the result.
“All the people with iPads around me were, ‘Wow, clear.’ Maybe they can hide behind the phrase it is not clear and obvious.
“It is of course a penalty but we didn’t get it and that is fine. The most important thing for me is that we can play football like that. I saw so many sensational performances today.”
Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City are red-hot favorites to lift the Premier League title with only 10 matches remaining.
