Arne Slot has accused Arsenal of time-wasting during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates.
Mohamed Salah earned a point for the visitors, who sit one point behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League table.
But the Reds head coach bemoaned an “undeserved” yellow card during the game, explaining a miscommunication with the fourth official following a conversation with defender Ibrahima Konate.
“It doesn’t even come to my mind about tactical fouls or dark arts,” Slot said in the build-up to the match, with Anthony Taylor handing out a booking after he voiced his displeasure at Mikel Arteta’s side.
“There were so many times that they were on the floor, which can happen so many times in football,” Slot said.
“I don’t blame them for that but it always happened after they had ball possession. That took the energy out of the game in my opinion. So I said to [Ibrahima Konaté]: ‘This is a f***ing joke.’
“The fourth official thought I said to him: ‘You are a f***ing joke.’ But that’s definitely not what I said. But I got a yellow for that and now I’m on two and I have to be careful.”
Arteta, meanwhile, was “proud” of his side, despite dropping two points from a winning position.“I’m very disappointed that we haven’t won the game today,” Arteta said.
“Very proud of the team, especially with the situation we are going through at the moment – probably you cannot imagine.
“I think in the first half it was total domination, we were really good, really dominant, really efficient and the result probably should have been bigger.
“Without conceding nothing basically, we gave two goals away. That’s the really frustrating part and that we couldn’t see the game out.”
The Gunners must wait on the condition of Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber, who both exited the game with injuries.
“You don’t want to be in that position. You want to be five points ahead but this is where we are.
“The team is alive, the team wants it. I feel it every single day. The players that cannot play, they are upset that they are not playing. The ones getting injured, the ones that are there, they are in a good moment.
“Things will turn up and we are going to be in a better place, but we are certainly there.
“I see the team and I have no doubts. I think I told you three days before that we are going to be flying on Sunday and we started flying and were the better team by far.
“We needed to get the points today to make a reflection of where we are and where we want to be. We couldn’t do it but for sure we are there.”
