Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has insisted that Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet should have been sent off during the two sides' encounter at the bet365 Stadium last night.
Jurgen Klopp's visitors ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of a Sadio Mane strike and a late Mohamed Salah brace, but the Reds could have been down to 10 men in the first half.
Liverpool were already a goal up when Mignolet rushed out of his area to take down Mame Biram Diouf when clear on goal, but referee Martin Atkinson instead opted to issue the stopper with a booking.
"The key moment in the game from our point of view," Hughes reflected in an interview with Sky Sports News afterwards. "Diouf has nicked the ball and the 'keeper has wiped him out and should have been sent off clearly.
"At that point if we had got that, even if we had scored and they had remained at 11, we still would have been back in the game. That was a huge moment for us.
"The least we should have had was a clear run on goal and in my view the 'keeper should have been sent off and they should have been down to 10 men.
"Given the way we were playing at the point, I think we would have gone on to make it really difficult for them. As it was we were constantly chasing the game."
The result left Hughes's side without a win in four games and just three points above the relegation zone.
Neil Wilkes
