Brighton Manager Roberto De Zerbi Admits Team Was Fortunate to be Awarded Free-Kick vs. Liverpool

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted his side were fortunate to be awarded the free-kick which led to Lewis Dunk’s equaliser vs. Liverpool. The Reds were leading 2-1 midway through the second half when Solly March attempted to drive through Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate. March was caught between bodies and went down, with referee Anthony Taylor convinced it was a free-kick and Brighton going on to score through Dunk.

It was a situation which Liverpool should have done better with, as Andy Robertson pulled out of a clearance, but De Zerbi has claimed it wasn’t a free-kick. However, in his post-match press conference, the Brighton manager insisted the earlier handball incident involving Virgil van Dijk was a penalty for his side.

De Zerbi and Klopp Share Mutual Respect

“I think there was a penalty, but there wasn’t a foul when we scored the second goal,” he told reporters. “I’m honest. I told Jurgen my opinion.” De Zerbi and Klopp, who share a mutual respect, were involved in a number of exchanges on the touchline, with the Liverpool manager explaining that he tried to diffuse his counterpart as he risked a red card.

“I love Klopp,” De Zerbi continued. “He can do what he wants, because I have a big respect and I consider him one of the best coaches in the world. I like his behaviour. When he says something, 99 percent [of the time] I agree with him. In that situation, I think there was a clear penalty, and I told the referee – I think in a good way – what I thought in the moment.”

Gross Should Have Been Sent Off for Denying Obvious Goalscoring Opportunity

There was another flashpoint during Sunday’s game as Dominik Szoboszlai was hauled down by Pascal Gross, who made no attempt for the ball and pulled the Hungarian back by his shirt. Liverpool were awarded the penalty and Mohamed Salah scored, but IFAB laws indicate that Gross should have been sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Asked whether he felt his side were lucky to end the first half with 11 men, De Zerbi pointed to a number of issues Brighton have faced with VAR themselves. “I don’t know,” he replied. “If you speak like this, you have to analyse the offside in the second goal of Aston Villa, the third goal of Aston Villa. You have to analyse last season in the Palace game, we scored one 100 percent goal; the Leicester game, there was a clear penalty. We can speak until tomorrow night and we are not able to find an agreement. I think there was a penalty, but for me, it’s finished. I spoke two minutes ago, the Dunk goal, the set-piece wasn’t a foul for me.”

De Zerbi’s admission that his team were fortunate to be awarded the free-kick against Liverpool is a refreshingly honest one. While it may not have been enough to earn them all three points on Sunday, it is clear that both managers have a mutual respect for one another and that they are willing to speak openly about their opinions on controversial incidents.

The fact that Brighton were not punished for Pascal Gross’ foul on Dominik Szoboszlai is another example of how VAR can be inconsistent at times. While it is not always easy to make the right call in such situations, it is clear that Gross should have been sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Overall, it was an entertaining game between two teams who are both vying for a top four finish this season. While Liverpool will be disappointed not to have taken all three points, they will be pleased with their performance overall and will be looking to build on it in their next game.