Arne Slot reacts during a Liverpool matchplaceholder image
Arne Slot reacts during a Liverpool match | Getty Images
Liverpool have been given the chance to close the gap in the race for a Champions League place as the Premier League announce who the officials for the trip to Sunderland will be.
Liverpool take the trip up to the north-east to face Sunderland knowing that a win is essential if they are to qualify for the Champions League.
The Anfield outfit have been given a helping hand by both Man United and Chelsea both drawing, however, the Black Cats are just three points behind Liverpool in the Premier League and could easily join the race with a win themselves.
Arne Slot has already addressed the implications of potentially missing out on Europe’s premier tournament which makes every game between now and the end of the season a big one.
Referee appointed for Sunderland v Liverpool
Against Man City, there were signs that a corner had been turned, but it needs to be for 90 minutes, not just periods during games. Slot is also responsible for making a talented team play with the handbrake on and he needs to be much braver in terms of how he sets them up. It hasn’t worked so far this season being conservative, which makes the tactics even more bizarre. If he isn’t careful, he might yet be replaced by a manager who is better suited to playing on the front foot.
Already up against it, the Premier League seem intent on winding the Dutchman up and adding to his woes after the officials were named for the clash against Sunderland. Chris Kavanagh is the man in charge with Dan Cook and Marc Perry his assistant referees. Thomas Bramall is the fourth official, while Darren England and Craig Taylor are on VAR duties.
Why Slot won’t be happy with referee appointment
Kavanagh’s appointment is one that won’t go down well with Slot, who has had cause for complaint about the official’s decision making already this season in a high-profile game. That game saw skipper Virgil van Dijk have a goal ruled out after Andy Robertson was adjudged to be offside and to have blocked the goalkeeper’s line of sight. A decision labelled a “real scandal” by former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Reds boss vented his frustration and also pointed out that Kavanagh had allowed a similar goal for Man City to stand the season before. He said: “I think it’s obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made, at least in my opinion, because [Robertson] didn’t interfere at all with what the goalkeeper could do.
“Immediately after the game someone showed me the goal that the same referee allowed City against Wolves last season. It took the linesman 13 seconds to raise his flag to say it’s offside, so there was clearly communication. That could have influenced the game in a positive way for us because in the first half we were so poor.
“We would have been lucky going 1-0 down at half-time, let alone if it was 1-1 or 2-1 down. It has been an influential decision, which is not to say that we then would have had a result over here because you cannot predict how the second half would have gone.”
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