Diogo Jota believes his high foot on Oliver Skipp during Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over Tottenham did not warrant a red card. Skipp was left with a bloodied cut above his eye after Jota’s studs connected with the Tottenham midfielder’s head during the second half at Anfield. Jota received a yellow card for his challenge but VAR did not review the incident, with Spurs’ interim manager Ryan Mason describing it as an ‘instant red card’. When asked about his challenge on Skipp, Jota told Premier League Productions: ‘Yeah, it was not good, obviously. It was not my intention to cause any harm to him, but unfortunately it happened. I said sorry to him, that’s all I could do after that bad tackle, but I also think it’s not a red because I touched the ball and there was no intention to cause him any harm.’
Mason spoke about Jota’s challenge after the game, saying: ‘I would like an explanation and a reason why it wasn’t [a red card]. I can understand referees and officials on the pitch missing it even though my feeling was an instant red card because when your foot is studs showing and you’re five and a half feet off the ground and make contact with a player’s head and draw blood, and there is a gash, I think it ticks all the boxes.’
Klopp, meanwhile, hit back at Mason’s complaints after Jota avoided a red card and suggested Spurs ‘have to play better football’. ‘Ryan has to worry about other stuff,’ Klopp said. ‘They’re such a good football team, Tottenham, they have to play better football. They can’t just counter-attack, they have to play better football with that team. Diogo Jota has the foot high but he’s not going for the head. I heard Oliver Skipp could’ve had a red card. Did he speak about that as well? Wanting Diogo Jota off the pitch, worry about other stuff.’