Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has praised referee Michael Oliver for his decision to not award Liverpool a penalty during the 1-1 draw between the two sides at Anfield on Sunday.
Late into second-half added time, City winger Jeremy Doku collided with Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister in the penalty area.
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Doku appeared to connect with the ball but followed through into the chest of Mac Allister. Oliver chose not to award a spot kick, a decision that was confirmed by a video assistant referee (VAR) check.
Jurgen Klopp called Doku’s challenge “100 per cent a foul” but Walker believes Oliver’s call showed his experience and “character”.
“My view is the referee and the VAR made a decision on what it is,” he told Sky Sports. “I feel the ref reffed it really, really well.
“I feel once you have Anfield and the crowd behind him, he could have crumbled. But that shows his experience, that shows his character and that’s why he’s regarded probably as one of the best referees in this country and in the world at the minute.”
"He could've crumbled but that shows his experience, that shows his character"
Kyle Walker praises Michael Oliver's professionalism over Liverpool's penalty decision ❌ pic.twitter.com/Kvb9QiAIMg
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 11, 2024
When asked if he thought a penalty should have been given, Walker said: “Listen, it’s probably not up to me to say if I do think it’s a pen. If I say it’s not a pen, headlines, if I say it is a pen, it’s headlines. I think the VAR’s checked it, the ref’s done it. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Klopp believed that his side were denied a “clear penalty”, saying after the game: “This situation, in all positions on the pitch, is 100 per cent a foul and it’s a yellow card.
“He only can hit the ball because his foot is right there. And then they say, ‘Oh, he hit the ball’. But if the ball wasn’t there, he kills him.
“You will find people, Mike Dean he is working for Sky, he will find something (to explain the decision). For all football people, it’s a penalty. If you don’t think it is one, maybe you are not a football person.”
The draw between Liverpool and City means Arsenal will remain on top of the Premier League until after the March international break, with neither of those sides playing league football next weekend.
Arsenal face City at Etihad Stadium on March 31.
GO DEEPER
Liverpool vs Manchester City: A Premier League classic
(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)