Jurgen Klopp admits Brighton penalty decision was correct after sarcastically applauding linesman in Liverpool draw

LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted the decision to award Brighton a dramatic penalty at the Amex Stadium was correct.

However, in the immediate aftermath the German sarcastically applauded the linesman.

Pascal Gross scored an injury time equaliser to level up the game at 1-1 after Andy Robertson was judged to have fouled Danny Welbeck.

VAR spotted the possible foul, leading referee Stuart Attwell to check the incident on the pitchside monitor where he subsequently awarded the spot-kick.

Robertson clipped Welbeck’s foot as he tried to clear the ball.

Klopp appeared initially to be disgusted by the incident as he made his point to the assistant referee.

It was a bitter blow for the Reds who saw goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both ruled out for offside by VAR.

Commenting on the decisions, Klopp told BT Sport: “The two offsides I didn’t see, but our analyst said they were [correct].

“It was really close with Mo I think, it was a foot. But we are used to arm pits and club badges [being offside].

“The penalty? Yeah, it’s how it is. I think the decisions were right.”

Klopp was then pressed on the penalty incident after being told that Jordan Henderson stated that some of the Brighton squad agreed it shouldn’t have been given.

To which he said: “Look, you’re trying to create a headline at my cost – you always do.

“If I say now it wasn’t a penalty… Don’t look like this!

“You try, always. I said it was a penalty and you’re not happy with that. What do you want to hear? Give your answer to yourself.”

Before adding: “In football you always need a little bit of luck. Today we didn’t have it.”

Henderson had told BBC Sport that he was left baffled as to how his side didn’t walk away with three points.

He said: “I can’t really speak about it because I’ll get myself in trouble.

“If they’re offside, you do the line thing, then what can you do?

“The third one, I don’t know, it’s not a penalty.

“You can think I’m biased but if you ask four or five or their lads they will say the same thing. They said it walking off the pitch.

“You feel as though there are a lot of decisions that go against you but that decision for me today is baffling.”