Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea: Robertson feels the referee buckled under Stamford Bridge pressure

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson feels the referee bowed down to Stamford Bridge pressure to penalise the away side for non-existent ‘time wasting’.

The Reds beat the Blues 2-1 in the battle of the colours and Michael Oliver felt he had no choice but to brandish a few yellow cards towards the end of the game. Decisions Robertson told The Athletic he didn’t think were fair.

Trent Alexander-Arnold saw yellow for it, while Robbo and Adrian both got told off by Oliver for taking too long to get the game going again.

But the Scotland international doesn’t think those cautions were justified, and doesn’t even think Liverpool were engaging in time wasting.

“I don’t think we were doing it deliberately,” said the left-back after the game. Although you have suspect that these finely tuned footballers have half an idea of what sort of stunt they’re pulling off.

“Listen, you can’t expect us to be quickly getting the ball back,” he continued to say. Which basically means that they had no intention of re-starting play quickly. You can imagine a little knowing smile and wink being passed around the field. Take your time lads, it would say, we’ve got until the fat lady sings.

But Oliver clearly didn’t feel that way and showed Alexander-Arnold a yellow for it. A decision, said Robertson, that was influenced by the crowd’s displeasure at the perceived Liverpool tactic.

“Their fans got on the ref’s back and then he was rushing us a bit,” he concluded.

There’s no shame in doing it, either way. All great sides know how to get those small advantages, and whether that comes through talking time over a throw-in or cute little tactical fouls, whatever helps the team win is normally applauded.

Maybe Liverpool have some more street fighter in them than we though. Good. It’ll only help in the quest to win the Premier League, no matter what the opposition say about it.