Brentford 3-1 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp is rattled big time after latest Premier League defeat – The Warm-Up

TUESDAY’S BIG STORIES

New year, same Jurgen

Among Klopp’s gripes was that Brentford always “stretch the rules”, while he also fumed that Bryan Mbuemo was not punished for a “push in the back” on Ibrahima Konate shortly before he made it 3-1. Take it away, Jurgen…

“[Referee Stuart] Attwell thought it’s not a foul and VAR hides behind the phrase ‘it’s not clear and obvious’. The other way round, if it is a foul, you’d never say ‘no, no, no’. He’d explain that, if somebody would ask him. The third goal has nothing to do with anything else, it’s just a foul. The third goal I really cannot respect.”

Our New Year’s Resolution at Warm-Up HQ was to ditch sports reporting and become a forensic detective, so we’ve merged our two passions to analyse the above incident frame by frame. Our conclusion? While there wasn’t a shove in the back, it’s entirely plausible the 6’4” Konate was blown over by some unnecessarily heavy breathing from Mbuemo.

Klopp was also frustrated with Brentford’s rough-and-tumble tactics from corners. The Bees found the net three times from their trusted set-piece weapon in the first half, although two were chalked out for offside.

“I’m not sure you can really control it all the time because each corner is a massive threat. They stretch the rules in these moments, full-body contact,” Klopp said.

“There was only one offensive foul off a set-piece tonight which was whistled and it was against us, which is really funny… Of course we don’t behave perfectly but, like I said, they stretch the rules in these moments. They’re really pushing, really holding and everything. That’s why it’s really difficult. I wish we could have done better there.

“We had a meeting before the season where they told us the refs will whistle that but unfortunately they don’t do it. A foul is a foul, holding is holding, pushing is pushing. If the refs see it, you would expect them to whistle it. If they don’t see it, they can’t whistle it, and that’s how it is.

“There’s a reason they’re so successful with offensive set-pieces and still concede a lot of defensive goals around set-pieces – because there you cannot do the same stuff, because in your own box it would be a penalty.”

Klopp is spot on with his assessment that a foul is a foul, holding is holding, pushing is pushing. But as none of that happened here, it’s irrelevant. Upon closely examining the footage again – seriously MI5, recruit us, we’ve watched each replay at least six times – there was not a single misdemeanour committed by any Brentford player during these three corners.

Here’s the real scandal: Liverpool are only two points above Brentford and in serious danger of missing out on the Champions League next season.

Joao must be kidding

— NEW YEAR BARGAIN: Unloved forward available for five months. Failed to score in first 14 games this season before brief resurgence. €15m fee plus €6m wages, no option to buy. Includes complimentary coffee with Jorge Mendes.

The January window has slammed open and one player is already attracting plenty of headlines: Joao Felix of Atletico Madrid and worst transfer in history fame. Atletico are now demanding another club turns Felix into the player they thought they were getting for €127m in 2019 – and pay for the privilege.

The fishing rod is currently bobbing outside the Emirates and Old Trafford, with Arsenal and Manchester United the rumoured interested parties. But why on earth would they meet Atleti’s demands? If Felix succeeds, they will have spent five months upgrading a rival player who could easily move elsewhere in the summer. And if he fails? Well, we can think of better ways to waste €21m.

Given Arsenal are famous for adding one penny onto transfer proposals, it seems unlikely they would be so reckless in January. While their current plan is to keep playing Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli until they waste away, they do not need to risk a short-term gamble. Better to stick that cash in the Mykhaylo Mudryk envelope.

Twelve months ago, United HQ would be furious with anticipation. “€15m? For a player we can’t keep? What’s not to like?” But Ed Woodward is gone and United are running a disappointingly sensible and frugal ship under Erik ten Hag, plus Marcus Rashford is currently prime Messi.

It leaves Atletico in a sticky spot. Our advice: scrap the fee, go all-in on getting him the best loan move and start preparing your demands for the summer.

Mind the gap

At what point do we abandon our belief that Mikel Arteta is a handsome droid and instead accept he is an exceptional manager?

Arsenal can go TEN POINTS clear at the top of the Premier League with victory over Newcastle United tonight, barely 16 months on from that haunting defeat to newly-promoted Brentford at the beginning of last season. Arteta has gutted the squad since that shameful day with Ben White, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli the only faces to start that game and Saturday’s 4-2 win over Brighton.

But there are still a few questions to be answered, chiefly: can they actually stop the Haaland-De Bruyne Express? The fixtures have so far been suspiciously kind to Arsenal, who are yet to play Manchester City nor travel to any of the top six.

Life has been so easy, in fact, that all Arteta has had to do this season is convince Eddie Nketiah he is better than Gabriel Jesus, pick a left-back each week and keep everything else exactly the same. Yep, definitely just a handsome droid.

IN OTHER NEWS

We’ve found him!

After missing posters were plastered across the south coast, Alexis Mac Allister has finally been reunited with Brighton. The 24-year-old, one of the heroes of Argentina’s World Cup win in Qatar, received a terrific reception as he returned to his club following a wild party in Buenos Aires.

IN THE CHANNELS

Ross Barkley is back in the big time! Well not quite, but here’s the least consistent man on the planet firing home a belter for Ligue 1 side Nice.

RETRO CORNER

You probably saw the “Pele did it first” montage doing the rounds on social media. But it turns out everywhere was wrong – Gary Lineker did it first.

COMING UP

Four matches in the Premier League with runaway leaders Arsenal v Newcastle United (19:45 GMT) the pick of the bunch. If that doesn’t tickle your ivories, then Leicester City v Fulham (19:45), Everton v Brighton (19:45) and Manchester United v Bournemouth (20:00) are also options.