Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ponders ‘strange’ anomaly ahead of Manchester United clash

Jurgen Klopp admitted that he finds it strange how Liverpool have not been awarded a single penalty in the Premier League this season.

The Reds have endured a stuttering campaign and face a battle to qualify for the Champions League. They sit sixth in the table.

Klopp’s side have bagged 40 goals from 24 league games - but not one has arrived via a penalty. In fact, Liverpool haven’t scored a spot-kick since a 2-0 victory over Watford last April.

The Reds face fierce rivals Manchester United on Sunday at Anfield as they aim for a fourth league win in five matches.

Asked if it was stange Liverpool haven’t been awarded a penalty this season at his pre-match press conference, manager Klopp replied: “Yeah! With all the bad stats we have this year, until last week or two weeks ago, we still had the second-most possession, shots on goal, crosses.

“Stats-wise, we are still really up there. We are very often in the opposition box. I have no clue how that can happen but it happened.

“We won the last game 2-0 (against Wolves) but [there were] so many strange moments. Not penalty-wise, I don’t think there was a penalty but so many strange decisions. We just take it. When you win, you don’t talk about it or think about it.

“Not getting a penalty for that long time is funny. I don’t think we’ve got particularly a lot of penalties during my time here and we’ve had moments where we have pretty much lived in the opposition box. I cannot change that obviously but it’s cool someone else found the stat and we didn’t have to mention it.”

After last season’s 9-0 aggregate win for Liverpool, the tables have turned slightly, with United now in the ascendency. While Liverpool have generally struggled, the Red Devils have amassed 23 points post-World Cup - the most of any team in the Premier League.

Asked about th revival at Liverpool’s arch-rivals, a laughing Klopp said: “Great, United’s doing well. I didn’t miss them.

“I can imagine how annoying it was for the last few years when we were there and everyone was talking about ‘Klopp did this and Klopp is doing that. Outstanding. And they are bringing in young players’. It is really ‘ugh’.

“They deserve it, they deserve where they are. They won the points, they played good football like all the others as well. This is not where we are this year but we were there the last few years and we want to go there again, 100%.

“But apart from that I couldn’t be less interested in what they are doing. I just respect what they do and then I analyse it. Yes, they play a better season than us so far but thank God that means absolutely nothing for the game on Sunday.”