Liverpool inflicted our first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday, beating us 3-1 at Anfield.
The killer blow was dealt less than five minutes into the second half, when Mohamed Salah slammed home from the spot after David Luiz had been penalised for pulling the Egyptian back in the box.
David Luiz spoke to the media about the incident after the game. This is what he said:
on being beaten by 'a better team'...
Yes, but sometimes I think we created a lot of chances to score. It's never easy to play here and yes, Liverpool is amazing. But I think if we scored first it would've been another game. We had an opportunity for that. I think the second goal - the penalty - killed the game. After that it was more difficult. What we take is the spirit until the end, we were trying to play until the end and we scored a goal, but it could have been a different game today.
on the penalty that was given against him...
Yes, I think it is. You cannot take out from the players, it is just a reflex. When I turned I see that I was taking and so I took off [my hand from Salah's shirt]. I spoke with Mo and he said 'I didn't feel you touch me, that's why I didn't go down to the floor' but now with the VAR, you cannot see the power so it is difficult for the referees. He saw the shirt like that, but I don't know. It's difficult for them so I cannot complain with their efforts because it is difficult for them too. If you play with an extra-large shirt now, there could be a penalty every time. It's interpretation, so I think if you pull someone with power and you change his strength to go to the ball, it's different. It was just a reflex but that's it, it made the penalty and after that he gave me the yellow. So on the third goal I could not make the foul and put my team in trouble with 10 men. So I think it conditioned my game a bit after that and it was more difficult. But like I said, the team fought until the end and the team created a lot of chances to score here today. It could be a different game but now we are still with the six points, in three games, we're going to play a tough game against Tottenham. I think you have to look forward and try to win.
on shirt pulling resulting in penalties...
Yes, but if I pull your shirt like that and if you put your hand like that, it's different, the power is different. That's what I said. In VAR it is difficult for them, they cannot see the power, so if I pull like this [gives demonstration] it's more power than just like this. So it depends on the interpretation, like I said. But if you see the shirt going like that it's also difficult for the referee to say it is not a penalty. That's why I don't judge him and complain against him. I'm just saying my view. The reflex is in one second you turn, you do and you take out. But it's like that, football is like that. We have to look forward. I spoke with Mo, he's my friend and he said he didn't feel that. But that's football. Football is like that.
on how comfortable we were at the back today...
It's the style of our team. We are trying to build from the back. We have the quality for that, so we are going to try to improve every single game and try to make our plan work in every game. We were trying to play today from the back, to try to give possibilities for the ball to arrive between the lines and to attack from deep. So that's what we were trying to do.
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