Former referee Mark Clattenburg has explained why the half-time whistle was blown early after Sadio Mane raced through onto a pass from Xherdan Shaqiri in Liverpool's clash with Manchester United.
The Reds appeared to have fashioned a dangerous first-half chance when midfielder Thiago Alcantara knocked the ball into Shaqiri to play it over the top to Mane with 55 seconds of the one additional minute having been played.
However, match referee Paul Tierney blew to end the first period - prompting widespread frustration among the Anfield faithful on social media.
The early whistle also left Thiago with his head in his hands, while Trent Alexander-Arnold had a word with Tierney as the two teams left the field.
"There was only one moment of slight controversy and it came right on half-time," Clattenburg wrote in his Daily Mail column.
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"One minute of added-time was shown and the TV clock indicated 55 seconds had been played when Tierney blew his whistle with the ball in the middle of the pitch.
"He wanted play to finish in a neutral area, as is standard for referees. The problem was, in a split-second, Liverpool played a ball over the top and Sadio Mane was looking to get away on goal.
"Technically, Tierney should have waited until the minimum of one minute had been played.
"He was helped by the fact Mane and United defender Victor Lindelof then stopped playing, so we do not know what would have happened next."
"But I would not criticise Tierney for this incident. He had a very good game, it’s just a shame we didn’t have that real intensity."
