‘I hate to say it’ – Thomas Tuchel gives verdict on Liverpool star Sadio Mane

Liverpool and Chelsea were both made to share the points in an entertaining draw but the outcome of the result may have been completely different had Mane seen red just 15 minutes into the game.

Challenging for the ball in the air, Mane’s arm caught Cesar Azpilicueta in the face while he was looking at the ball.

A yellow card was produced but Tuchel was far from pleased on the touchline about the decision and was still frustrated at full-time.

‘In the first game we got the red card and the referee was so quick to give the red card. They did not check it, I hate to say it normally as I don’t like a red card early in the game, it can kill it,’ he said.

‘The public are here to see 11v11. Sadio Mane should always be on the pitch because he is a brilliant player and a good guy but it is a red card.

‘If you don’t check and then can check our goal and maybe take it away… it is hard to swallow but what can we do?’

As for Azpilicueta, he was in no doubt it was a ‘clear red’ as he hit out at recent decisions going against them.

‘A clear red. I don’t mind if it is five seconds into the game it is a red. I don’t understand, we have had these kind of decisions the other day. It is a clear red card,’ the Spaniard said.

‘We are getting these decisions against us and it can change the way of the game.

‘They would say what they think. We are promoting the challenges in the Premier League with 50-50 with the ball, sometimes we are seeing a joke of penalties and sometimes we see real dangerous challenges and we don’t take action.

‘We are seeing a few games where referees become a bit softer in terms of penalties and red cards and then it becomes opposite.

‘We don’t see the same consistency in the same game and same season. I watched the replay but I didn’t need this because live I knew it was a red.’

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