Liverpool fans, players and even the manager weren't happy after their draw with Spurs on Sunday. They all believed that the London side had been given two incorrect penalties and their mood won't be helped by Mauricio Pochettino's thoughts on diving from 2016.
Twice Liverpool led and looked like they were going to win, twice they were foiled and twice they felt they were cheated by penalties they thought should have seen yellow cards for the attackers.
In the craziest end to a match you're likely to see Dele Alli was booked for diving in the box, Harry Kane won and missed a contentious penalty where he looked offside and like he might have dived and finally Erik Lamela won a second penalty and again the Reds thought he dived.
Jurgen Klopp was clearly irate at full time believing both incidents shouldn't have been penalties, although at least Kane missed the first, and his mood won't be helped by a line the Liverpool Echo dug out that Pochettino said about diving back in 2016:
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"Now, we [English football] have the influence of the Latin people that try to cheat, always. Maybe, you were more pure 20, 25, 30 years ago. Now you are like us!
"In Argentina, yes [I have been part of team where diving was encouraged]. The people sometimes practise that. It's true.
"But many years ago. Now, I don't know. But when I was a player, it was part of training to try to cheat. Yes, [it was] at Newell's. Estudiantes, if you remember... Many, many years ago. It was part of practice."
Asked if he'd ever encouraged diving as a manager Pochettino did say, "No, of course not, I don't like. I don't like that." There's a good chance Liverpool fans won't believe that.
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There was no doubt about Dele Alli's dive, which he picked up a yellow card for, Kane's was certainly questionable, and he missed the resulting spot kick, but Lamela was clearly kicked in the calf by Van Dijk, even if he did make a meal of the situation.
Take a look at our most hated XI, there's some divers in here for sure:
The Spurs boss has previously spoken about Alli's diving saying, "He needs to learn, he must learn. Because this type of action doesn't help him, doesn't help the team and doesn't help football.
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"We have talked in the last few years about fair play and being honest. I think he's improving a lot, but still it's something he has to learn about."
Is Poch right about diving in the game?
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Spurs, Liverpool, Football News, Mauricio Pochettino, Premier League, Dele Alli