A furious Pardew accused Christian Benteke of diving when challenged by Damien Delaney to force a stoppage-time penalty, which the striker converted to win the game.
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“I can honestly say I didn’t make contact with Benteke today and if there was slight contact I didnt impede him and certainly didn’t feel there was enough to award a penalty in the 96th min”, the Republic of Ireland worldwide wrote.
Referee Andre Marriner consulted with his assistant before awarding the spot-kick and Pardew felt the degree of uncertainty should have steered the officials away from a result-altering decision.
While Carragher says it will be hard for Liverpool to make up that deficit, he still thinks there is a chance for them to finish in the top four if their rivals continue to drop points between now and the end of the campaign.
He said that they planned to do so by swapping Jon Flanagan, who was brought off for Coutinho, with Milner – who would be able to add more threat down the right, but Klopp said: “I think it was the first moment after they had a short corner”.
“Now you could expect a different reaction from a big-money signing this summer if he does not play as much as he likes”, Carragher said.
Alan Pardew’s men have now failed to win in 12 Premier League games and remain 15th, nine points above the relegation zone.
Palace had earlier taken the lead in the early stages of the second period through midfielder Joe Ledley, although Liverpool levelled through forward Roberto Firmino despite being down to 10 men following the dismissal of England’s James Milner. “I’m disappointed with both of them [Benteke and the referee], really frustrated with that”, Pardew told Sky Sports. If it had been us we wouldn’t have got it’. In super slow motion the knee touches the foot and he goes over like he’s been shot. It is done now, we have to draw a line under it and start again. However, the main debate on the issue seems to be whether that touch warranted a penalty. I’m sure. If you run and you get this touch, you fall down.
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“To be honest, nobody really thought especially that we would try and make another goal, but the ball went into the box, it was a challenge, it was a foul, it was a penalty…” “I think [across] the whole 90 minutes we deserved the luck but in the situation around [the equaliser], we needed a bit of luck to force this mistake and could use it to score a goal”, continued the Reds boss with a mischievous grin.
