Jurgen Klopp faults Man United penalty record after Saints loss

- Jurgen Klopp has lamented Liverpool's failure to be awarded penalties during Southampton loss

- The Reds were handed a 1-0 defeat by Saints at the St Mary's Stadium earlier this week

- The German boss had to take a swipe at Man United and their penalty record during the post-match conference

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Liverpool were denied a chance to extend their lead on the Premier League table after kicking off the New Year with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton at St Mary's Stadium but the game was not short of controversy.

Danny Ings scored the only goal that separated the two sides just after two minutes and the guests could not reply.

The Reds had a potential penalty call but the referee decided to overlook their plea after Sadio Mane was said to have been fouled in the hosts' 18-yard box.

Jurgen Klopp's men were also denied another spot-kick as the ball hit Jack Stephens' hand while trying to block Georgino Wijnaldum's shot.

The German boss has however decided to take his frustration out on Manchester United's penalty record after his side's defeat to the Saints.

This defeat meant Liverpool and United are level on points going into their Anfield clash on January 17, with Klopp's side topping the Premier League table on goal difference having played a game more than their rivals. Klopp was quoted by The Mirror:

“I turned around, we had a really good view of it. It looked like a clear penalty. "I turned to the fourth official, he said ‘we checked already, no penalty’. That’s the 100 per cent truth. They checked it already."

“We had the situation last year against Leicester with the penalty, and people say ‘Sadio Mane goes down too easily’.

"If this boy went down easy, we could have had a penalty in this game and a stonewall penalty in the last game. But what Andre Marriner did with Sadio Mane tonight, I’m not sure that’s okay, to be honest."

And the Liverpool boss was furious when he heard a stat about United's penalty record.

“We cannot change. I hear now that Man United had more penalties in two years than I had in five-and-a-half years. I’ve no idea if that’s my fault, or how that can happen.”

But the officials were not the only ones to attract Klopp's ire, with the manager admitting he was “angry” with his under-performing players after they went down to Danny Ings’ early winner.

Klopp cut an isolated figure throughout the game and at one point when a penalty appeal was turned down, mics picked up the gaffer asking “What’s going on?”

Defeat meant Liverpool’s lead at the top is out of their hands and Manchester United could take initiative in the coming games.

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