Solskjaer suggests Klopp trying to influence referees with penalty talk

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested Jurgen Klopp may have been trying to influence referees by discussing the penalties awarded to Manchester United.

Klopp felt Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty during Monday's 1-0 loss to Southampton, while highlighting how many spot-kicks United were awarded.

Under Klopp, Liverpool have been awarded 46 penalties in all competitions, including 30 in the Premier League. In that same time frame, and under three different managers, United have won 67.

Since Solskjaer became United manager in December 2018, United have been given 42 – with 27 in the league. Liverpool have had just 19 spot-kicks in all competitions in that time.

But Solskjaer, whose side host Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, dismissed the talk about United's penalties.

"That's a fact, probably. That's probably going to be my answer – that's a fact that we’ve got more than them," the United manager told reporters.

"But maybe they should… well, we’ve had… I don’t know how many penalties they've had. I don't count how many penalties they have.

"So, if they want to spend time on worrying about when we get fouled in the box then I don't spend time on that."

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Solskjaer suggested Klopp was trying to influence referees by discussing United's penalty record.

"I can't talk on behalf of other managers, why they say things like this," he said.

"Obviously I felt it worked last year in the FA Cup semi because Frank [Lampard, Chelsea head coach] spoke about it.

"We had a nailed-on penalty that we should have had and didn't get, so maybe it's a way of influencing referees."