Last season’s clash between Liverpool and Tottenham at Anfield might have been remembered for a wild seven-goal game, with the Reds deciding at the end after initially giving up a 3-0 lead. But instead most of the aftermath was about referee Paul Tierney, who was criticized by both managers for the way he had officiated the match.
It is now clear that Tierney will be able to try his hand at the corresponding match this season. On Sunday, he is the main referee when Tottenham visit Anfield in what is Klopp’s penultimate home game as Liverpool manager. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Tierney is the man who referees Liverpool most often. In the autumn, Tomkins Times calculated that Tierney is involved in an average of every fourth Liverpool match as the main referee or VAR.
This time John Brooks will be in charge in the VAR room, and he too was involved in the drama at Anfield last year. He had the role of fourth official and got to see an angry Klopp celebrate Diogo Jota’s 4-3 goal right in front of his own face. Klopp was rewarded with a one-match suspension for the outburst, which he later regretted.
Klopp was also unhappy with Tierney. Among other things, because Mohamed Salah was called off for a very cheap free kick just before Tottenham equalized before 3-3. Klopp was also offended by what Tierney said when he received the yellow card for the celebration. Tierney is said to have said that if it was up to him, Klopp would have received a red card. Earlier in the season, Klopp had told Tierney that he is the only referee he has a problem with.
Liverpool supporters were also in awe that Oliver Skipp was allowed to stay on the pitch for a stamp on Luis Diaz, while Jota was probably just as lucky to only get a yellow when he hit Skipp’s head with his knuckles.
This season, Tierney has not been in the limelight as much, but he was sent off by Nottingham Forest due to a situation in injury time which led to Liverpool getting the ball, and two minutes later the winning goal was in the net.
For Klopp, this will probably be the last meeting with Tierney, who may represent something that he will not miss when he takes a year off.
