Pep Guardiola is grappling with a midfield conundrum for Manchester City’s visit to an Arsenal side he believes have established themselves among the Premier League elite once again.

While Guardiola issued a positive update over the injured Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian will be missing for Sunday’s clash while midfield general Rodri serves the last game of a three-match domestic ban.

Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic have been deployed in the holding role in the Spaniard’s absence although City lost on both occasions – at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and at Wolves in the league.

Guardiola lamented how difficult Rodri is to replace and will decide closer to kick-off how best to plug the gap in a fixture many observers view as significant in the title race.

“(Rodri is) maybe the best or in the top two or three best holding midfielders in the world,” Guardiola said. “He’s not here and we’ll have to find a solution with our players and how we want to play.

“When you have an absence as important as him you have to have a solution. I am not going to deny how important Rodri is, like how Kevin is, but when they are not here we cannot start to cry.

“He is not here, we will find solutions and decide how we are going to press and play.

“The moment in my mind when a player is not there, he is completely out and I don’t think about it. He is not there.”

Defeat at the Emirates Stadium would be the first time City have been beaten in successive league games since December 2018 – and Guardiola is wary of an Arsenal team managed by former protege Mikel Arteta.

Arteta, a former assistant of Guardiola’s at the Etihad Stadium, has led Arsenal out of the doldrums. The north London club endured a few years out of the top four but they were the closest challengers last season to City, finishing just five points adrift of Guardiola’s all-conquering treble winners.

The Gunners are now hot on the heels of current league leaders City and represent a stern test for a side bidding to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise 2-1 defeat at Molineux.

“Arsenal is back to where they were when they fought with Sir Alex (Ferguson’s Manchester United) team,” Guardiola said. “When I arrive here they were not there and now they are back.

“In the calendar you see when you have to go to the Emirates Stadium. The recruitment they have done is exceptional, with (Declan) Rice and (Kai) Havertz.

“Absolutely (they are City’s main title rivals), along with Liverpool from what we’ve seen.”

Guardiola confirmed John Stones is unavailable for selection this weekend – despite the centre-half being named in England’s squad for matches against Australia and Italy later this month.

“No, he’s not ready to play,” Guardiola said. “Maybe for the national team, but not us.”

De Bruyne is another absentee, with the 32-year-old sidelined since the opening game of the season in August after undergoing hamstring surgery that was expected to keep him out for up to four months.

While he is still a way off a first-team return, Guardiola is optimistic of having De Bruyne back sooner rather than later.

“Kevin comes in at different times, either before training or for his treatment,” Guardiola said.

“After training he sees physios and so on. Of course I see him every day and he’s getting better, and his mood is good. Hopefully sooner than expected he will be back.”

Erik Ten Hag admits Manchester United’s level of play since winning the Carabao Cup has been unacceptable.

The Red Devils take on Brentford on Saturday looking to avoid a run of three successive defeats for the second time this season.

But results had already tailed off at the end of the last campaign, with Ten Hag’s win percentage dropping from 69 per cent prior to the victory over Newcastle at Wembley to around 50 per cent since.

The positivity that had accompanied the Dutchman’s first season in charge has rapidly evaporated, and he said: “We dropped in levels. We have to get back to those levels.

“There are reasons for it but still it’s not acceptable and we have to fight against it. Every team we put out has to be on one page and the routines are not always there. They have a good foundation in the way they play, keep the foundation, support each other and we will do better.”

United have endured another miserable week, with a Premier League loss to Crystal Palace followed by a 3-2 home defeat by Galatasaray in the Champions League, where goalkeeper Andre Onana again struggled.

Ten Hag believes his side are being punished for lapses, saying: “Consistency, that is the problem we are struggling with.

“In parts of the game, I will say in big parts of the game, we do a lot of things right but then there are moments where we are struggling and in such moments we can’t survive.

“In this moment, you have to do the right things, so be consistent and do the job, be consistent in the communication, and when you do that you keep the right organisation and do it like before.

“Definitely you can mark such a moment as when we score a goal or concede a goal and when decisive moments go against us, we lose a bit as a team. Over big parts, in 95 per cent of the game, we are a team, so keep going all the way through and we have to step up.

“Most important in such moments is you keep on one page and it starts with communication.”

Rasmus Hojlund’s double against Galatasaray was the bright spot but Marcus Rashford again struggled.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rasmus Winther Højlund (@rasmus.hoejlund)

The England forward has gone seven matches without a goal for club and country, with his only effort so far this season coming against Arsenal at the beginning of September.

Ten Hag has no doubt it is just a blip, though, saying: “It’s normal you are not always right at the same levels. Everyone knows the qualities of him and if Rashy does the things right and the team does, it’s up to him.

“We have seen in the last weeks he is coming in good positions, he is struggling, but it will pass. Everyone knows the qualities, everyone at Man United backs him, the whole team supports him and believes in him, I am sure with that it will change and this will pass.

“Strikers, when they don’t score for a moment, they need one goal, then they step over. When he is doing the right things, and he is doing the right things, the momentum will come and he will be on fire.”

Antony could make his return to Premier League action having coming off the bench against Galatasaray but Jadon Sancho remains out of the picture.

New VAR guidelines introduced in the wake of the controversy involving Liverpool will be in use in the Premier League this weekend.

Miscommunication between VAR Darren England and referee Simon Hooper led to a Luis Diaz goal for Liverpool being wrongly disallowed for offside at Tottenham last Saturday.

Audio of the incident was released on Tuesday, with referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) saying it would develop a new VAR communication protocol in an effort to avoid similar mistakes being made in future.

The PA news agency understands that protocol will now be in force right away.

PGMOL said the protocol would “enhance the clarity of communication between the referee and the VAR team in relation to on-field decisions”.

VARs will now also confirm the outcome of the checking process with the assistant VAR before confirming the final decision to the on-field officials.

England mistakenly thought the on-field officials had ruled Diaz to be onside, which meant that when he told them ‘check complete’ they believed he had upheld their on-field decision and restarted play with a free-kick.

Once play had restarted, there was nothing the VARs could do to revisit the decision under existing protocols.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called for the match to be replayed on Wednesday, something the Premier League is understood not to be prepared to consider.

The league did release a statement on Tuesday, though, saying the Diaz incident had highlighted “systemic weaknesses” in the VAR process and said a wider review would take place “to seek consistently higher standards of VAR performance”.

PGMOL and the Football Association will also review the policy allowing English officials to cover domestic league matches overseas.

England and his assistant Daniel Cook had been part of a team of officials who had taken charge of a match in the United Arab Emirates on September 28, arriving back in the UK the following morning.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits they have not had time to properly assess where World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister fits into their side.

The Argentina midfielder has started all seven of the club’s Premier League fixtures since arriving from Brighton in a cut-price £35million deal, but has been deployed in the nominal holding role after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia left them short in that department.

Mac Allister has shown he is far more effective further forward in one of the attacking midfield positions, and while he has done a job for Klopp, it appears unlikely he is the long-term solution.

He was even substituted at half-time of the win at Wolves, having flown back from Bolivia after the international break after looking well off the pace.

Nevertheless Klopp is satisfied with what he has had from the 24-year-old so far.

“We didn’t even look for his best position yet. We just use him,” he said.

“He is a fantastic player, I love everything about him: super-smart tactically and off the pitch as well, so that is really nice to work with.

“If we as a team defend well, he can play definitely the number six. Did I know that before? I had a guess but I was not sure because I did not know exactly how all the other boys would do defending.

“Because we defend more compact and better than in our bad phases last year, we have small spaces and then it is really good because he sees the situations really well.

“We have a really good footballer and it is really cool but best position? He is too young for me to know it but he is a midfielder, I can tell you that.

“He is a midfielder and I am happy about having him.”

Mac Allister is one-third of a midfield rebuild this summer with Dominik Szobozslai the other mainstay after his £60m arrival from RB Leipzig.

Forward Cody Gakpo, another new signing Wataru Endo – the one genuine number six in the squad – and Curtis Jones have filled the other space in midfield in Premier League matches this season.

However, the gradual emergence of Ryan Gravenberch, a deadline-day arrival from Bayern Munich, points towards the 21-year-old staking a claim to be the third man alongside Mac Allister and Szobozslai, who are destined to be locked in for the long term.

The Dutchman scored his first goal in the 2-0 Europa League victory over Union Saint Gilloise as his integration into the side – he has started three non-Premier League games but has only been a substitute at weekends – continues to grow apace.

For a relative youngster, Gravenberch has a certain presence on the pitch and Klopp expects him to grow further with more experience.

“Raw power – I am not sure a lot of people would have described him in the past like that,” said the manager.

“He is technically incredibly good. The first touch is insane, the speed is top class, really good shooter.

“Yes he came late and yes we play slightly different and yes he needs time to adapt, and that is what we can give him, thank God.

“He is completely happy with that and in the groove; he realises in each training sessions he is treated completely like others, if he starts or not.

“He gets even more information in specific moments. He can see what the other boys do in similar positions, he can watch it, he learns, he is a smart boy, everything goes in the right direction and that is really nice to see.

“He has had assists in the other games and now he has his first goal. Now it is good, long may it continue, he is very important for us.”

Eddie Howe wakes every morning happy with the “life-changing” decision he took to become Newcastle’s head coach.

The 45-year-old accepted the Magpies’ offer of employment in November 2021, just weeks after Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium had completed its takeover.

Staveley and her partners will celebrate two years at the helm on Saturday with the club having been transformed to the extent that they sent shock waves across Europe on Wednesday evening with a 4-1 Champions League rout of Qatari-funded Paris St Germain.

Asked where he would rank his decision to take on the job, Howe said: “I knew when I took the job – the moment came when I was offered the job and I was going to say yes – that it was a life-changing moment for me.

“Thankfully it has been a great journey so far. I have loved every second of it.

“I said when I arrived I was very proud to be Newcastle manager and I’ve never woken up without that feeling. The feeling that I am doing something very special in my life is always there and it’s never something I take for granted.”

Howe’s decision thrust him into the centre of a geopolitical minefield and he has found himself repeatedly facing questions over the Saudi regime and its links to the club through the Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which holds an 80 per cent stake, and accusations of ‘sportswashing’.

PIF governor and Magpies chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has made no secret of his ambition, saying in the Prime Video documentary ‘We Are Newcastle United’ that he ultimately wanted to establish the club as number one in the world.

Howe, who met the chairman briefly after the PSG game, has been consistent in taking a measured approach to development despite hefty, if astute, investment in the squad since the takeover.

But asked if there was any reason why the Magpies could not be the biggest club in the world, he said: “No, but we’re not the world’s number one club at the moment.

“We’ve got to try to work towards that, and these things take time. There is no magic wand. Being smart, making good decisions and working hard every day…

“If that is the ultimate aim, then we will try our best to try and get that.

“We have to be calm and recognise we are in the early stages of the season. We’ve got a lot to prove before we can say anything about what we’ve done. We’ve just put ourselves in a good position in our Champions League group and we are still formulating our Premier League position.”

That process will continue with Sunday’s visit to West Ham, a game for which Anthony Gordon is suspended after reaching five bookings for the campaign, while Callum Wilson and Joelinton remain doubts and Sven Botman is out.

Harry Kane will still have the support of Tottenham fans despite his decision to leave the club, according to fellow Spurs favourite Jermain Defoe.

Kane signed for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for an estimated €117million (£100m) in the most recent transfer window, leaving North London having overtaken Jimmy Greaves as the club's all-time record goalscorer.

Kane scored 280 goals in 435 appearances in all competitions before ending his 19-year association with Spurs, and he has started life at Bayern in similarly prolific fashion, netting eight times in six Bundesliga outings while also getting off the mark in the Champions League.

Though Kane decided to leave in pursuit of the silverware that eluded him at Spurs, Defoe believes the club's fans will continue to back the England captain in his new surroundings.

Speaking to Stats Perform at the Legends of Football event, in aid of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Defo said: "For Harry, it's amazing for him and his family. It's a new challenge.

"Everyone at Tottenham wants to wish him the best – we always knew he was going to do well anyway because he's a world-class player. He'll score goals anywhere. Nothing changes in terms of goals.

"We just want to wish him the best because Harry as a footballer is special but he's a special guy and he deserves everything he gets."

Kane the final piece of Bayern's puzzle?

Bayern have claimed 11 Bundesliga titles in a row, but the trophy they really want to lift is the Champions League having not made it past the quarter-final stage since last winning European football's elite competition in the 2019-20 campaign.

Kane has hit the ground running at Bayern, giving fans hope that he can be the man to lead them back to European glory.

The England international has scored eight goals in his first six Bundesliga appearances, with only Erling Haaland scoring more in his first six games in the league, while he has surpassed some of Bayern's greatest strikers in terms of their starts at the club.

His seven goals in his first five Bundesliga games for the club is more than Bayern legends such as Miroslav Klose and Robert Lewandowski managed, while his 10 goal involvements during those games is also the most in a player's first five Bundesliga appearances.

Kane is second behind only Serhou Guirassy (10) for Bundesliga goals this season, finding the net every 66 minutes on average while converting 34.78 per cent of his shots.

His three assists indicate he has also been a key facilitator for Bayern, while he is tied for fourth in the Bundesliga in terms of big chances created (four).

It is still early days, but Kane's excellent start suggests he could be the one to help Bayern back to the very top of European football.

What the papers say

Liverpool have identified their prime target when the January transfer window opens. According to the Daily Mirror, Fluminense’s Brazilian midfielder Andre Trindade will be at the top of their list.

Manchester City are turning their attention towards keeping hold of their talent. The Daily Telegraph reports the treble winners plan to open contract talks with striker Erling Haaland, 23, with Real Madrid showing interest.

Chelsea are also looking to secure one of their young stars, according to the Daily Mail. They are planning talks with Conor Gallagher, 23, as the England midfielder nears the final 18 months of his contract.

And Everton are also close to tying up Jarrad Branthwaite to a long-term deal, reports the Daily Mirror. Manchester United had reportedly been interested in the 21-year-old defender.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Jarrod Bowen: Liverpool and Newcastle are watching as contract talks for the England forward, 26, move slowly at West Ham.

Xavi Simons: Manchester City are expected to face a fight from Barcelona for the Netherlands midfielder, 20, from Paris St Germain next summer.

What the papers say

Kaoru Mitoma is reportedly set to rebuff massive interest to remain at Brighton. According to London World, the 26-year-old winger is eager to sign a new long-term contract with the Seagulls. This comes despite Mitoma believed to be high on the wishlist for both Manchester United and Manchester City.

The Daily Express says Chelsea are growing increasingly unhappy with Nottingham Forest loanee Andrey Santos. Citing The Athletic, the Express reports Chelsea could recall the 19-year-old midfielder from his loan spell if he does not start getting substantial first-team football.

The Evening Standard reports a host of European clubs are tracking New York Red Bulls’ 15-year-old American winger Julian Hall, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all believed to be keen on the highly rated prospect.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Michael Kayode: Fiorentina are set to offer a new contract to the 19-year-old defender, according to Calcio Mercato.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Gazzetta reports the Denmark midfielder wants to leave Tottenham if he cannot be guaranteed first-team football.

Former FIFA referee Duarte Gomes has leapt to the defence of VAR amid the furore surrounding Liverpool's Premier League defeat to Tottenham, calling the technology's introduction "the best thing to happen to football". 

The use of VAR is a hot topic in the English top flight again after Luis Diaz was incorrectly denied a goal in Liverpool's 2-1 loss to in-form Spurs.

Darren England – the VAR official on duty at the time – misunderstood the on-field call to chalk the goal off for offside, inadvertently clearing an incorrect decision.

Liverpool have reacted furiously to the incident, which played a part in their first defeat of the season, with boss Jurgen Klopp suggesting the game should be replayed on Wednesday.

However, Gomes – a retired Portuguese referee who officiated in FIFA and UEFA competitions between 2002 and 2016 – says the ability of those using the technology is the issue, not the technology itself.

Speaking to Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit, Gomes admitted officials were still adapting to the technology but said it had already righted "thousands" of incorrect decisions.

"I don't have the slightest doubt that it's the best thing that's happened to football and to referees for decades," Gomes said.

"I know that we have a big, long way to run yet. It's not perfect, far from that. People who work with VAR are also learning and they are focused always on their careers as a referee on the pitch. 

"The process of decision-making was completely different, and then you put them in a room with many screens and tell them to decide in a different way they have to adjust. 

"As with everybody, there are some people who have more competence than others. We are now on that trail to try to be there. 

"Nevertheless, in factual decisions, let's say, for example, offsides or with goal-line technology, I believe that around the world, thousands and thousands of goals have been saved or cancelled correctly after VAR. 

"So yes, it's good for football. It's a Ferrari, you just have to have the right driver to be there.

"I've made many mistakes with the human eye; penalties, decisions, yellow or red cards, things that I missed. VAR could help me a lot. I would have been a better referee if I had it."

Gomes also believes, however, that technology cannot become all-invasive in football, emphasising the need to preserve the emotional nature of the sport.   

"I'm a little concerned about AI in the future, of course also in refereeing matters. I believe it will have an important role," he added.

"Sitting here right now, I don't know if I will have a different way of thinking in 10 years. We are always adjusting, but I believe technology should always help until the point that humans decide.

"Human first, technology after, not the other way around because football is for people. It's played for people, with people, and refereed with people, and that's what gives the emotion.

"If you become very technological, it's very difficult to have an emotional sport and then it will lose many of its values, so yes, technology is always to help, not as a substitute for the referee."

Gomes also feels the rise of social media has had a major impact on the levels of abuse received by officials. In a high-profile incident from last season, Roma boss Jose Mourinho was given a four-match ban by UEFA for angrily confronting referee Anthony Taylor after his team lost the Europa League final.

"I believe it's getting worse because social media gives the right to everybody to criticise, especially the ones who didn't do it with a public voice before," he said.

"Football is a social phenomenon and it's unique because it can put you in a very emotional state, sometimes an irrational state, which is worse. 

"You cannot ask people to be reasonable when they have their emotions so strongly attached to their teams and their competitions. 

"Sometimes you have to let the balloon go down a little bit and then ask them for some tolerance again. Nobody wants to hear the explanation of law one or law two, [but] you have to do it slowly, you have to try and try."

While Alan Smith accepts Liverpool have every right to be hurt by the VAR error which cost them in Saturday's loss to Tottenham, he thinks Jurgen Klopp's team have no choice but to move on. 

PGMOL, the body responsible for match officials in English football, admitted a "significant human error" was committed when the decision to disallow Luis Diaz's first-half strike – which was flagged offside – was not overturned. 

The audio recording of the decision-making process surrounding the incident was made public on Tuesday, revealing VAR Darren England misunderstood the nature of the on-field decision when clearing the check.

Diaz's wrongly disallowed effort occurred when the game was goalless, with Liverpool down to 10 men following Curtis Jones' straight red card. 

Diogo Jota was also sent off in the second half before Joel Matip's stoppage-time own goal handed Spurs a dramatic 2-1 victory, maintaining their flying start to the Premier League season.

Liverpool subsequently said the "sporting integrity" of the game had been "undermined" in a statement, and boss Klopp made further headlines on Wednesday. 

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool's Europa League fixture against Union SG, Klopp called for the Spurs game to be replayed, labelling the situation "unprecedented".

While Arsenal great Smith has sympathy for Liverpool, he maintains the Reds have no option but to accept they were wronged. 

Speaking to Stats Perform at the Legends of Football event, in aid of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Smith said: "I was amazed when they played on and the offside was upheld.

"It was a lack of communication, big time.

"I can't understand how that happened, but it's not great because it casts a shadow over the game, over VAR especially, and Liverpool are clearly very upset. 

"You can't blame them, but I think you've just got to suck it up and carry on really. It's done. It's done now."

The incident has sparked further debate about the impact and implementation of VAR, but former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein says the technology will become more effective as time goes on, calling for supporters to "stick with it".

"Well, it comes down to two words, human error, and that's going to happen," Dein said. "People have got to understand.

"I'm a great supporter of VAR. Before VAR came in, the referees were making one game-changing error every three games. That's been reduced dramatically.

"You'll see as the years go by. It's still in its infancy. It only came in the World Cup in Russia in 2018. That was when VAR was really introduced. 

"It's going to get better and more efficient as time goes on. I'm a great supporter. You've got to stick with it."

Arsenal Women's manager Jonas Eidevall was also speaking at the event, and he outlined his belief that semi-automatic offside technology – which is used in UEFA competitions – should be adopted by PGMOL.

"With VAR, as long as there is a human element to it, there can always be human errors," Eidevall said.

"If you do the semi-automatic offside technology, you don't really have a human element to that and you get less errors. So I think that's a good example. Goal-line technology is another one. 

"The referees are also going to get better, over time, at working with a system like VAR. That's also very obvious and they will also learn things every season. They want to get things right."

Meanwhile, VAR – and goal-line technology – was a hot topic across the opening weekend of the Women's Super League season, with officials failing to award Guro Reiten a goal despite the ball clearly crossing the line in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Tottenham.

Asked if he expected VAR to grace the league soon, Eidevall said: "Yes, I do. I think that's where the development is heading. I don't know if that's next season or the season after. 

"I think when we do, if we implement it, it has to be the full version. 

"What I don't want to see in the women's game is for them to implement a cheaper version of VAR with less camera angles. That makes it really difficult for the referees to see the situations."

England and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has said she “is more focused than ever to be back on the pitch” after being made an OBE at Windsor Castle.

Williamson was forced to miss this summer’s World Cup, where the Lionesses finished runners-up, after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in April.

The 26-year-old, who captained the Lionesses to the European Championship title last summer, told the PA news agency: “I’ve made some good steps. I’m running again now. We are in a great place.

“Days like today I can celebrate them properly with my family but I am more focused than ever to be back on the pitch.”

Williamson said she could feel like “a new signing for my team” when she returns from injury.

She said she had “a bit of a catch up” with the Prince of Wales after recently seeing him at a United Nations summit in New York.

Williamson became the first England women’s footballer to address the United Nations when she spoke at the Sustainability Development Goals Summit.

She said she has spoken to the Prince recently about making “my game grow” and how the women’s game can be integrated with men’s football.

When asked about speaking at the United Nations summit, she said: “We have made so much impact on the pitch and it’s obviously important we do that off the pitch as well.

“There were a lot of things I’d spoken to people about and that I really wanted to give my time to and I’ve been able to do that while I’ve been injured.

“It’s not my preferred choice, I’d love to have shin pads and boots on on the pitch but while I’m not out (there) I want to still try and have an impact and do what we do just in a different way.”

Williamson said she hopes women’s football “continues to shift” and there are more games at big stadiums so “we have a chance to prove that the game belongs there”.

But she warned women’s footballers are “running ourselves into the ground to try and compete” because of a busy schedule.

She said: “I think everybody wants to protect their bit of the game but ultimately something has to give in the end and I had team-mates this year that after a World Cup final had five days off.

“It’s not acceptable. It’s not favourable to the players, and ultimately, we’re the only ones that lose out. It’s our bodies on the line.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants their match against Tottenham to be replayed after a significant VAR error ruled out Luis Diaz’s goal but accepts he is unlikely to get his wish.

With the score at 0-0, Diaz was flagged offside but replays showed he was actually onside although Darren England, the VAR, mistakenly believed the on-field decision had been to award the goal, leading him to tell referee Simon Hooper the check was complete.

Liverpool’s complaints promoted the publication of the audio between officials which revealed the first person to spot the mistake was the replay operator, who urged the team of officials to stop the game, but the VAR and assistant VAR repeatedly said they could not intervene because play had restarted.

Klopp felt such an unprecendented scenario required a similarly unprecedented solution.

“The audio didn’t change it at all because I was not really interested in why things happened because I knew,” he said.

“I saw the outcome, I saw goal we scored and it didn’t count so I wasn’t now waiting for the audio and sitting there hoping I’d find out how it could happen or whatever.

“Yes, it was an obvious mistake and I think there would have been solutions for it afterwards.

“If not, I can say immediately – and probably some people don’t want me to say it – not as the manager of Liverpool but, much more as a football person, I think the only outcome should be a replay. It probably will not happen.

“The argument against that will probably be if you open that gate then everybody will ask for it. I think the situation is that unprecedented – it didn’t happen before.

“I’m 56 years old and I’m absolutely used to wrong decisions, difficult decisions but something like that as far as I can remember has never happened. That’s why I think the replay would be the right thing.

“The next argument would be if it would happen again, I think a replay would be the right thing to do or the referee has the opportunity to bring both coaches together and say ‘sorry, we made a mistake, but we can sort it, that Liverpool score a goal and we start from there’.”

Asked whether the club had made – or would make – a formal request for the match to be replayed Klopp, after taking advice from his press officer, said: “We are still going through the information that we have.”

The PA news agency understands the Premier League’s stance remains the same as earlier in the week – that a replay would not be considered.

The manager stressed he did not want to single out the individuals involved for the errors made, but wanted to find a solution within the framework of the system which would prevent something similar recurring in futrure.

“What I want to say is it’s really important that as big as football is, and important as it is for us, that we really deal with it in a proper way,” he added.

“I mean that all the people involved – on-field ref, linesman, fourth official and especially now in this case VAR – they didn’t do that on purpose. We shouldn’t forget that.

“I’m not angry with any of them (the officials), not at all. It’s not only the respect, but the only thing for human beings in general is we should not go for them. It’s not allowed to go for them in any way.

“They made a mistake and they felt horrible that night, I’m 100 per cent sure. That’s enough for me. Nobody needs further punishment. We should discuss it on a completely normal basis without emotions.”

Klopp was still unhappy with some other decisions taken in the game, notably the upgrading of Curtis Jones’ yellow card to a red, and also the two yellow cards issued to Diogo Jota.

“The referee got called to the screen and saw for the first three seconds a frozen picture. I would have given immediately a red card for that picture. Then he sees the replay in slow motion and I’d have given a red card for the slow motion. But in reality it’s not a red card.

“The ref’s first decision is yellow. Then the clear and obvious mistake is showing a frozen picture and in slow motion.

“On top of that, Diogo Jota got two yellow cards for not touching a player once. That is unprecedented as well I would say.”

Jota will be available for Thursday’s Europa League visit of Belgian side Union Saint Gilloise but fellow forward Cody Gakpo, who was injured in the Spurs game, is out.

Chelsea defender Reece James has been fined £90,000 and banned for one game after admitting to abusing a match official after last month’s defeat to Aston Villa.

England wing-back James, 23, who was not in the matchday squad due to injury when Villa secured a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, was reported for his behaviour towards the official in the tunnel after the match.

The FA said on its Spokesperson Twitter account: “Reece James has been given a one-match suspension and £90,000 fine for breaching FA Rule E3 at Chelsea’s Premier League match against Aston Villa on Sunday September 24.

“The defender admitted that he used improper, insulting and/or abusive words and behaviour towards a match official in the tunnel after the final whistle.

“An independent Regulatory Commission imposed these sanctions following a hearing, and its written reasons for them will be published at the earliest opportunity.”

James sustained a hamstring injury in training last month and has not appeared for Mauricio Pochettino’s side since the home draw against Liverpool on the opening day of the season.

Chelsea are hoping James will be fit to return to action in the home Premier League game against Arsenal on October 21.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for their match against Tottenham to be replayed due to the glaring VAR error which cost them the opening goal.

The fall-out from the VAR failure in Saturday’s defeat – in which officials wrongly disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal due to a misunderstanding of the on-field decision – is still being felt.

The Premier Game Match Officials Ltd released the audio conversation between officials and the VAR after a request from Liverpool, but Klopp said that had made little difference to their thinking.

“The audio didn’t change it at all. It is an obvious mistake,” he said. “I think there should be solutions for that. I think the outcome should be a replay.

“The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented, it has not happened before.

“I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened and so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do.”

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho is looking increasingly likely to call time at Old Trafford in January. The Daily Mail, citing Sky Germany, says the 23-year-old winger has been in regular contact with former club Borussia Dortmund, amid his stand-off with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

Staying with the Red Devils, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has emerged on the club’s radar for a potential January move. According to the Mail, the centre-back is viewed as a potential replacement should Harry Maguire depart the club in the new year. Branthwaite is also wanted by Manchester City, having impressed on loan at PSV Eindhoven.

And The Telegraph reports former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is open to replacing Michael Beale as Rangers manager.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Lionel Messi: The Daily Mirror says the Inter Miami forward will return to his first club, Newell’s Old Boys, when his contract expires in 2025.

Jeremie Frimpong: The left-back is set to re-sign with Bayer Leverkusen, according to the Daily Record.