Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Alan Shearer disagree over key Newcastle United moments

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer felt Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold should have been sent off during yesterday’s meeting at St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe’s side were a goal up and man up in the first-half after Anthony Gordon’s 25th minute strike, which came shortly after Virgil van Dijk’s red card for a last-man challenge on Alexander Isak.

However, United surrendered and Darwin Nunez, a second half substitute, scored in the 81st and 93rd minute to earn the visitors a shock victory.

But prior to Gordon’s opener and Van Dijk’s dismissal, there were loud calls for Alexander-Arnold to be shown a second yellow card following a cynical foul on the former Everton winger, and Shearer believes the England defender was lucky to stay on the pitch.

“I think referee John Brookes had a really poor start to the game. The first 10 minutes, I think he got two big decisions wrong.

“I thought it was a clear foul from Anthony Gordon on Trent but he gets a yellow card for time wasting or chucking the ball away and rightly so, that was the right decision but that should have been a foul on Trent.

“And then a couple of minutes later, he’s on a yellow card and that should have been another yellow card. The only thing I can say for the referee is he probably thinks it’s too early in the game to be giving another yellow but that’s not right.”

Shearer also agreed with the decision to send Van Dijk off, but Reds boss Jurgen Klopp agreed with neither decision.

“As an observation, not a sending-off... there’s a foul on Trent Alexander-Arnold, which is not given clear in front of the fourth official [and he] says to me, ‘Yes, it’s a foul.’ The ref doesn’t give it and then Trent kicks the ball away – his fault. Done. Yellow.

“Next situation is the thing, if you want a second yellow, if he gives it, he gives it, but I didn’t think it is. You need to have this little space to keep a game going. Take him off, there’s an arm over... then what’s your curiosity of a football game? I am not sure that’s how it should be.”

On Van Dijk’s red card, Klopp added: “I don’t think it is a red card. It’s pretty much no contact, very little, and it’s on the way to the ball, but what can I say? The decision is like this, I cannot change it and I don’t want it. It’s just, would I give this in a training game? Definitely not. There are reasons why I am not a ref and they are.”