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LIVERPOOL and Stoke City played out a 0-0 draw in a game which could have been very different had Mohamed Salah converted an early chance.
A point was just about OK for Stoke to still be in with a chance of avoiding relegation but they will still be relying on results elsewhere going their way between now and the end of the season. Liverpool were looking to secure their position in the top four but the draw means their place is still not guaranteed.
The home side were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty late in the game when Georginio Wijnaldum’s cross was handled by Erik Pieters.
“They are going to ask for that at the Kop end but if that was given, I may as well have walked away. It was never a penalty,” said Stoke manager Paul Lambert.
Many onlookers disagreed, including Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp.
“Handball? Yes, probably,” he said. “At the end we didn’t score. That’s not the best day of my life but I had for sure worse days.”
Premier League top scorer Salah looked to have given his side the lead when a Jordan Henderson pass gave him a one-on-one with Jack Butland. He chipped the ball over the onrushing keeper but instead of nestling in the back of the net the ball rebounded off the advertising boards, having been skewed wide by the Egyptian.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was shifted from right back to replace the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in midfield. The 19-year-old had a chance of his own from Salah’s pass but it was saved by Jack Butland.
Stoke created a few openings of their own, with Ryan Shawcross coming closest when he almost turned in Mame Diouf’s attempt at the far post.
“We obviously met Stoke in the moment when they think a point could be enough, otherwise they [would have had] to play different,” added Klopp.
“They think they can win their next two games and have a chance with that, we can’t change their opinion.
“We had two opportunities to take the lead and we scored the offside goal. Let’s take it like this, let’s recover and go to Rome.”
Recovery will be key during Liverpool’s busy end to the season. This includes their Champions League game(s) and an important fixture against a Chelsea side who are looking to sneak into the top four at their expense.