Furious Roy Hodgson launched an attack on referee Michael Oliver for the penalty award that destroyed Crystal Palace’s attempts to beat Liverpool.
Oliver pointed to the spot in the final minute of the first half with the game goalless. He adjudged Mamadou Sakho to have tripped Mohamed Salah and James Milner converted from 12 yards.
Sadio Mane wrapped up Liverpool’s 2-0 win late in the second but Hodgson – whose team finished with 10 men after Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent-off for a professional foul on Salah – was aggrieved and could not accept Oliver’s call.
Hodgson said: ‘There is some comfort or pride in the team's performance, but it's not going to change my anger at the way we came in at half-time a goal down. I don't think that's a penalty. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
‘I do think it was a penalty when Max Meyer is wiped out in the area (in the second half) when Virgil Van Dijk dives in. It's a cause for frustration and anger. It's not a penalty. I've been in football a long time. If that's a penalty, then the game has changed beyond all recognition.
‘There's no way he's looking to foul the player. He's trying to defend. There's no way he's looking to get contact on the player himself. I don't want penalties for my team in that way. We have to pick ourselves up after this disappointment.
‘I don't think we gave away a penalty, and I don't think Liverpool deserved to be leading 1-0 at half-time thanks to that penalty. That is how I saw it. I will be a pariah for having that view but I shall not accept it.’
On Wan-Bissaka’s red card, Hodgson added: It's one of those things. We were pushing to get an equaliser, playing quite well, looking reasonably likely to get that equaliser and asking questions of their defence. The referee was right to send him off.’
Liverpool have made an unblemished start to the season, winning both their games without conceding a goal, but Jurgen Klopp was in no mood to start talking his team and made it clear he believes there is significant room for improvement.
‘It was not a brilliant football game from us,’ said Klopp. ‘We won it because we scored in two very decisive moments. That’s good, a big step for us. Everyone who watches us knows if we are not brilliant we usually lose! Today we were not brilliant but we still won. That was nice!
Van Dijk was Man-of-the-Match and Klopp said of his £75million defender: ‘Quality costs a specific price. With cars it’s the case, and with players too. Nobody thinks about it now. He’s a player in this market who is worth it, and maybe now people think he was too cheap! He loves playing with these boys, and that’s the most important thing.’