Klopp vs Tierney at Anfield

The Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur clash on Match Day 34 in the Premier League will go down as one of the most remarkable of the season to date, with the number of goals flying in likely to have delighted many players of Virgin Bet Fives. For those wondering, what is Virgin Bet FIVES? – the quick answer is; an exciting free-to-play game which offers the opportunity to win real cash prizes.

A Nightmare Start and Excruciating End for Spurs

Coming so soon after a 6-1 battering on Tyneside in their most recent away fixture, Spurs fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst, as goals from Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz, and Mo Salah saw the hosts race into a three-goal lead in the space of 15 minutes. Would Spurs be making the Premier League News headlines for all the wrong reasons yet again this season?

Full credit to the North London club, as rather than capitulate, Spurs hauled themselves back level courtesy of Richarlison’s 93rd-minute equaliser – only to concede one minute later and come out on the wrong end of a 4-3 thriller.

Drama off The Pitch

Thrilling as the action on the pitch was, much of the post-match discussion centred not around the quality finishing and woeful defending, but rather upon the latest instalment in the Jurgen Klopp vs Paul Tierney saga.

The incident fuelling this fire was the 96th-minute booking of Klopp – seemingly for yelling in the face of the fourth official whilst he celebrated Diogo Jota’s late winner. To the amusement of many, the yellow card wasn’t the only blow Klopp suffered for his actions, with the Liverpool boss appearing to pull a hamstring during his exuberant sprint down the touch-line.

Klopp’s complaint was not against the yellow card itself, but rather what Paul Tierney allegedly said to him when issuing the card – going so far as to suggest that the referee may have some sort of vendetta against his side, stating, “We have our history with Tierney, I really don’t know what he has against us,” and, “He has said there [are] no problems but that cannot be true”.

That reference to Liverpool’s “history” with Tierney seems most likely to be related to the following incidents:

2020: Tierney is alleged to have told Klopp to “get over it”, having confessed to missing a foul on Georginio Wijnaldum.

2021: Harry Kane appears fortunate to escape a red card, whilst Andrew Robertson is sent off in another clash with Spurs, leading Klopp to inform Tierney that, “I have no problem with any referees, only you.”

2023: Unhappy following a loss to Brentford, Klopp approached Tierney in an effort to discuss a number of decisions made in the game – resulting in the classic Klopp quote of, “That’s exactly the same as I would talk to my microwave, you get no response, really, it’s always the same.”

No Case to Answer Says PGMOL

Klopp’s feud with Tierney isn’t the only time he has butted heads with officials this season. Back in October, the German coach was dismissed for berating the assistant in a heated clash with Manchester City – resulting in a one-match touchline ban, a £30,000 fine, and a warning regarding his future conduct.

Whether this latest outburst leads to any ramifications for Klopp remains to be seen, but Paul Tierney seems to be off the hook. In reference to the referee’s performance throughout the game – including the issuing of the yellow card to Klopp – the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) stated, “Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all games via a communications system.”, and, “Having fully reviewed the audio of referee Paul Tierney from today’s fixture, we can confirm he acted in a professional manner throughout including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager.”