Jurgen Klopp 'Would Love to Blame the Whole World' After Liverpool 2-2 Spurs

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was left fuming at refereeing decisions after the Reds' 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday, as the visitors were awarded two late penalties.

Harry Kane took both; he missed the first, which he won after being brought down by goalkeeper Loris Karius, but tucked away the second, which Virgil van Dijk had given away through his challenge on Erik Lamela.

Per BBC Sport's Phil McNulty, Klopp said:

"The game was very intense between two really good teams. There were some real challenges in the first half, lots of moments when it could have been a free-kick but the referee said 'today that's the game, that's allowed' and then the softest touch in the whole game decides the game. It is not a penalty, it is a situation.

"I am angry but I can't change things so what's my job? To create headlines? To get punished? To pay a fine? If I said what I think I would pay the biggest fine in world football. That makes absolutely no sense."

Liverpool defender Van Dijk accused Kane of diving to win the spot-kick, per football writer Dave O'Connell:

Dele Alli's pass ran through to the striker, who was kept onside by virtue of Dejan Lovren's deliberate—albeit miscued—touch of the ball, and Kane went down under Karius' challenge.

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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, who initially branded the incident a dive on Kane's part in commentary, concluded it was a penalty upon review and reiterated his opinion on the Gary Neville Podcast.

Neville similarly believed the second penalty to also have been correctly awarded by the officials, after Lamela beat Van Dijk to a knockdown. Referee Jon Moss initially motioned for play to continue, but his assistant Edward Smart overruled the decision.

Klopp was furious: 

"I've heard Lamela was offside with one leg, running into Virgil van Dijk. Virgil sees him at the last moment, stops the movement but still touches him. Lamela is already on the way down.

"The referee says keep on going, and the linesman makes the decision. That's how it is. That's what everybody saw."

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He added: "Did you see the linesman? He was immediately on his way. He was sure. I would love to blame the whole world but I can't blame Jon Moss."

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo was puzzled by Moss' handling of the situation, but Aidan O'Hara of the Irish Independent felt Liverpool had brought it upon themselves:

The two penalty decisions contributed to a frenetic and thrilling end to the contest.

Substitute Victor Wanyama unleashed a thunderous strike into the top corner from 25 yards in the 80th minute to cancel out Mohamed Salah's first-half opener, before Kane had his spot-kick saved by Karius with three minutes of normal time remaining.

The miss appeared costly when Salah danced through Spurs' defence to put the Reds back in front in the 91st minute, before Kane equalised four minutes later with his second penalty.

The Mail on Sunday's Oliver Holt was delighted with the showing produced by two sides:

For the neutral, there was plenty to enjoy, though both teams will feel frustrated not to take three points given the chances they each had in the closing stages.

The result leaves Spurs in fifth, two points behind the Reds, and ensures they have not won back-to-back Premier League games since their victories over Southampton and Swansea City either side of the new year.

If Mauricio Pochettino's side are to join Liverpool in the top four, they will need to string a run of wins together.