Jurgen Klopp has blamed Mikel Arteta for Joe Gomez being booked for timewasting at the Emirates.

Jurgen Klopp loves an excuse and his side’s defeat at the Emirates on Sunday that saw them fall 14 points behind Arsenal offered him plenty of opportunities to make one.

Latest in his list is to blame the Arsenal manager for a Liverpool player picking up a yellow card for timewasting.

Gomez was booked by Michael Oliver in the 71st minute when he took too long over a throw in. It was Gomez’s first card of the season so, in reality, means little. It’s not like it tips him over the five-card limit, nor does it even bring him close to it.

In short, it was a nothing thing to moan about.

Yet Klopp couldn’t help himself.

Speaking to the press after the game, Klopp said, “But Joe Gomez’s yellow card, a defender, a yellow card for this throw-in situation.

“In the first half, I don’t know how often and how long Arsenal were looking for an option in a throw-in yet nothing happened, and I’m fine with that.

“But Joey is there and Mikel is having a go at the ref and then he [Oliver] says, ‘okay, yellow card’ from a distance and you think, ‘yellow card, for that?’”

Liverpool picked up two yellow cards with Luis Diaz also being booked before going off with what seems to be a serious knee injury.

Somehow, Konstantinos Tsimikas escaped without a card and only had one foul given against him despite being quite elbow-happy, something Klopp, of course, didn’t mention.

Arsenal received one yellow card when Martin Odegaard was booked for a cynical challenge on Diego Jota