Topics: Premier League, Liverpool, Brentford, Jurgen Klopp
The Reds' head coach launched a rant at the center referee in Tuesday's capitulation at Brentford.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp launched a scathing attack at the match referee as his side fell to a disappointing defeat in Tuesday's Premier League clash with Brentford. The German coach and his men found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline at the Brentford Community Stadium, a result which he believes was unfair.

The 2019-2020 Premier League champions have seen their title charge blighted by a series of injuries to several key players and, on Tuesday, had their poor run of form being extended. In hindsight, the scoreline could have been a little less respectable as a couple of reviews by the Video Assistant Referee chalked off two goals by Brentford in the first half. Still, the Reds conceded thrice, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring the consolation goal for the Merseysiders.

For Brentford, the absence of Ivan Toney was hardly felt, as the likes of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo stepped up to produce the goods for Thomas Frank's side. However, manager of Liverpool Jurgen Klopp believes that the hosts were slightly favored in their run-in to victory as a result of a couple of bad calls by match referee Stuart Attwell. According to the German, the third goal scored by Bryan Mbeumo should not have stood as he supposedly fouled Ibrahima Konate before converting the chance.

Addressing the media in the post-match, Klopp said: "The game got decided by the second goal in the end, which is absolutely our fault and nothing else. We got away with an offside or whatever it was. That's all OK and then we are not awake when they just go directly against our line again. "They can cross the ball and there they score the second goal and that decided the game in the end.

He added: "We felt the intensity of the game and then in the moment when you try to settle again, we conceded a third goal which should have been disallowed because it is a full-throttle sprint from two players and when you then get a push in this moment, you can lose balance and you go down.

"It is, of course, not a harsh foul or whatever, it is just a little situation, whistle it away but Stuart Atwell saw it differently. The VAR who checked it, they hide then generally in these moments behind the phrase it is not clear and obvious. So, the second goal decided the game, the third goal shouldn't have been allowed and we should have played better.

"We still had these chances and that's what we know, we have to improve that, in other moments – the second goal – it was a present to Brentford and that's the one I am really angry about. The others, one should have been disallowed the other is unlucky. Yes, it doesn't feel great."

With the result, Liverpool picked up their first league defeat away to Brentford in the Premier League since 1938. It is looking increasingly unlikely that the Reds will be able to secure a Champions League spot as they are currently in sixth - six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United who have a game in hand.