Liverpool star Sadio Mane's collision with Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson was an accident and did not merit a red card in their Premier League clash on Saturday, the Senegal forward's manager Jurgen Klopp said.
Mane was sent off by referee Jon Moss late in the first-half — with Liverpool trailing 1-0 — after Ederson was left prone on the ground as both went for the ball outside the area.
Ederson required several minutes attention before being stretchered off in a neck brace but appeared in the stand towards the end of the encounter when City had ruthlessly exploited their one man advantage to win 5-0.
"The decisive decision in the whole game was the red card," Klopp said. "I don't think it was a red card, Sadio didn't see the goalkeeper. It's unlucky, an accident. The keeper comes out. You want to go for the ball. I hope people see it for what it is,” he added.
Klopp, whose side went into the game unbeaten in its three previous games and having beaten Arsenal 4-0 last time out, said he had bitten his tongue so as not to also be sent to the stands.
"The referee was close to sending me to the stands so I had no power," said the 50-year-old German.
"I said to the fourth official that I didn't think it was a red card. The foot was not that high, the goalkeeper came out to head the ball. Sadio feels very bad about it. It's hard for him."
Klopp's City counterpart Pep Guardiola agreed the complexion and balance of the game had been transformed by the red card. "The game was open until the sending-off," he said. Mane didn't see him, he was looking at the ball but the impact was huge. I don't know if it was a red card,” he noted.
Guardiola, whose side went top by a point over city rivals Manchester United who play Stoke later, said thankfully Ederson emerged relatively unscathed.
"Ederson, the doctor says there is nothing broken," said Guardiola.
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