Manchester United news - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer channels Rafa Benitez's 'Facts' in retort to Klopp

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 06/01/2021 at 10:16 GMT

The Premier League title race continues to take on a more divisive tone with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jurgen Klopp being drawn into a war or words. The dispute has arisen after Liverpool manager Klopp referenced the number of penalties Manchester United have been awarded this season, which drew a withering response from the Manchester United boss.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hit back at Jurgen Klopp by appearing to sarcastically reference Rafa Benitez's famous 'facts' rant at Sir Alex Ferguson.

In the close title race of 2008/09 which ultimately saw United overhaul Liverpool's lead and win the league, Benitez, after being angered by claims from Ferguson Liverpool were receiving preferential treatment from fixture scheduling, gave a lengthy speech at a press conference referencing numerous 'facts' about United's disciplinary conduct and favourable treatment from officials.

After Liverpool lost to Southampton on Monday, Klopp bemoaning the referee failing to award a spot kick, said: "I hear now that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in five-and-a-half years. I've idea if that's my fault or how that can happen."

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When asked about these comments ahead of his side's Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Manchester City tonight, Solskjaer said: "That’s a fact.

It’s a fact that we’ve got more than him but I don’t know how many penalties they’ve had.

“I don’t count how many penalties they have, so if they want to spend time on worrying about when we get fouled in the box, I don’t spend time on that."

Klopp is not the first manager to claim Manchester United receive more than their share of decisions, with Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard making similar points last year.

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“Obviously I felt it worked last year in the semi-final in the FA Cup, because Frank spoke about it and we had a nailed-on penalty that we should have had that we didn’t get, so maybe it’s a way of influencing referees," Solskjaer said.

“I don’t know but I don’t worry about that. When they foul our players it’s a penalty - it’s just when it’s inside the box."

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