Luton Town came close to pulling off a stunning upset against Liverpool, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Luis Diaz scored a late equaliser for the visitors. The hosts defended bravely and took the lead in the 80th minute through Tahith Chong, who slotted home from close range after a cross from Alfie Doughty. However, Liverpool refused to give up and levelled the score in the fifth minute of added time, when Diaz pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired past Tim Krul.
The result left Liverpool in third place in the Premier League table, two points behind leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Luton remained in 17th place, four points above the relegation zone.
Klopp frustrated by Luton’s tactics and referee’s decisions
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was visibly unhappy with his team’s performance and the way Luton approached the game. He accused the hosts of wasting time and playing too defensively, and also criticised the referee for not awarding a penalty to his side in the first half, when Mohamed Salah appeared to be fouled by Marvelous Nakamba.
“We came here to win, but we faced a team that only wanted to defend and waste time. They had one chance and they scored. We had many chances and we only scored one. That’s football, but it’s not fair,” Klopp said after the game.
“I don’t understand why the referee didn’t give us a penalty. It was a clear foul on Salah. He was pulled down by the shirt. It was obvious. Maybe the referee was influenced by the crowd or the pressure. I don’t know, but it was a wrong decision.”
Luton boss praises his players for ‘incredible’ effort
Luton manager Nathan Jones was proud of his players for holding their own against one of the best teams in the world. He praised their work ethic, discipline and spirit, and said they deserved to win the game. He also defended his team’s style of play, saying they had to be realistic and pragmatic against a superior opponent.
“I’m very proud of my players. They gave everything they had. They worked hard, they were organised, they were brave. They showed incredible character and quality. They deserved to win the game. We were very unlucky to concede in the last minute,” Jones said.
“We knew we had to be defensive and compact against Liverpool. They have so much quality and pace. We couldn’t afford to open up and play expansive football. We had to be realistic and pragmatic. We had a game plan and we executed it very well. We frustrated them and we created some chances of our own. We played to our strengths and we almost got the three points.”
Liverpool miss chance to close gap on Arsenal and City
Liverpool missed a golden opportunity to close the gap on the top two teams in the Premier League, as Arsenal and Manchester City both won their games on Saturday. The Reds are now two points behind Arsenal, who beat West Ham 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium, and level on points with City, who have a game in hand after beating Southampton 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool have now dropped six points in their last four games, after drawing with Everton and Luton, and losing to Aston Villa. They have also scored only four goals in that period, despite having the likes of Salah, Diogo Jota, Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo in their attack.
Liverpool will hope to bounce back in their next game, when they host Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday. Luton, meanwhile, will face another tough test, when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Tuesday.
