Alan Shearer believes Jurgen Klopp ‘riled up’ Mohamed Salah before the pair were involved in a spat during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at West Ham.
Liverpool suffered another disappointing result in east London on Sunday, dropping two more points in the title race after being pegged back by David Moyes’ Hammers.
Jarrod Bowen gave the hosts the lead on the stroke of half-time but Liverpool led with 25 minutes remaining thanks to Andy Robertson’s equaliser and an Alphonse Areola own goal.
But Michail Antonio’s superb 77th-minute header earned West Ham a point and dealt another blow to Liverpool’s title hopes.
The Reds are now one point behind Manchester City, who have two games in hand, and two behind leaders Arsenal, who have one game in hand.
Liverpool fans will also be unhappy at an incident at the London Stadium involving Klopp and Salah as they argued on the touchline as the latter prepared to come on.
Salah, benched for the game after a relatively poor run of form, angrily gestured towards Klopp and the pair blanked each other as the manager made his way onto the pitch after the full-time whistle.
The Liverpool forward suggested he was furious at Klopp after the game, refusing to give an interview in the mixed zone but saying: ‘If I speak today there will be fire.’
Discussing the incident for the first time, Premier League legend and former England striker Shearer suggested Klopp had ‘riled’ Salah and said the Egyptian would have ‘had the hump’ after being dropped for the game.
‘We don’t know what Klopp has said to him there, he’s said something that has riled him,’ Shearer said on BBC’s Match of the Day.
‘He’s obviously got the right hump with being left out and probably rightly so. Even though he hasn’t hit the heights that Mo Salah has done over the years, he’s been unbelievable.
‘He ignores Jurgen, gives the Liverpool fans a little round of applause and goes straight down the tunnel but we’re guessing as to what Jurgen said to him.
‘I understand if Mo has got the right hump because the number of times he’s been Liverpool’s saviour and Liverpool’s superstar… He’s got 17 in 25 league starts.
‘Anyone else you’d look at that and think that was unbelievable. It’s a shame it’s going to end like that.’
Klopp, meanwhile, said he had spoken to Salah in the dressing room after the surprising bust-up and suggested the matter was now closed.
‘We spoke already in the dressing room and for me it’s done for me,’ Klopp said. ‘That’s all and that is it.’
Asked if Salah was okay with the situation, Klopp added: ‘That was my impression, yes.’
Liverpool now have three games left to play under Klopp, starting with next weekend’s trip to Tottenham.
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