Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah throws arms up in frustration at being substituted in 64th minute against Brighton… but Jurgen Klopp plays row down and admits he would be worried if star was ‘smiling’ coming off
Mohamed Salah reacted angrily to being substituted 64 minutes into Liverpool‘s 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton.
Jurgen Klopp withdrew Salah for Sadio Mane just after the hour with the score at 1-0 to Liverpool.
Salah was a bright spot in attack for the visitors, having a goal disallowed for a tight (but correct) offside and assisting in-form Diogo Jota for the opener.
Liverpool forward Mo Salah was frustrated at being substituted in the 1-1 draw with Brighton
But Reds boss Jurgen Klopp admitted it was normal for Salah to be frustrated at going off
The Egyptian forward latched onto Roberto Firmino’s lofted through ball and cleverly poked the ball into the ground and over Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan but was just beyond the final defender.
He then fed Jota, who burst past two defenders and placed a low right-foot shot beyond Ryan for his ninth goal since joining the club.
Salah had only returned from an isolation period which saw him miss the 3-0 victory over Leicester after testing positive for coronavirus.
Liverpool boss Klopp was likely managing Salah’s minutes as he did in the Champions League clash with Atalanta on Wednesday, where he took him off after 61 minutes,
Salah was narrowly ruled offside after scoring an improvised finish in the first half of the game
But Salah reacted angrily, throwing his arms up in frustration when he saw his number come up and barely looking at his manager as he trudged off the pitch.
But Klopp denied there was any rift between player and manager after the match.
He told BT Sport: ‘On a day when Mo Salah is smiling when he leaves the pitch then I know something is wrong. We just have to be careful, he doesn’t like that I know it.’
Andy Robertson made contact with Brighton’s Danny Welbeck (right) to give away a penalty
Mane, who replaced Salah, also had a goal correctly disallowed for offside to further frustrate the Reds.
Deep into stoppage time Stuart Attwell eventually awarding a VAR-assisted penalty after viewing Andy Robertson’s challenge on Danny Welbeck in the area, where he made slight but definite contact.
Pascal Gross – unlike Neal Maupay in the first half – was successful with the penalty to wrap up the draw for an impressive Brighton.
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