Damien Delaney has claimed that Andre Marriner, the referee, did not believe that the Crystal Palace defender had committed a foul when he awarded a controversial last-gasp penalty yesterday.
Christian Benteke, the Liverpool striker, was accused by Palace of diving under a challenge from Delaney who waited an hour after the match to speak to the officials. Delaney said Marriner made the decision on the advice of his assistant.
Benteke scored, condemning Palace to an eighth defeat in ten league games which leaves them fretting over the possibility of being dragged into a relegation fight.
“I can honestly say I didn’t make contact with Benteke today and IF there was slight contact I didn’t impede him and certainly didn’t feel there was enough to award a penalty in the 96th min,” Delaney said on Instagram. “If a penalty is awarded that late it has to be unequivocal, I waited over an hour to speak with the officials and in fairness to Andre Marriner he said he didn’t think it was a penalty but he trusted his linesman that much he awarded it.
“With the way the game was reffed and the physicality of both teams it was unbelievably harsh. With how Wilfred and Yannick were manhandled by Liverpool players over the course of the game, which I’ve no problem with, it was a really tough decision to take so late. All I can do is swallow it and hope to put this right.”
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Benteke hit his first goal in 14 games and has said he wants to fight for his Liverpool career, having starting just two of his past 12 games and struggling to adapt to a different style of football under Jürgen Klopp. However, the Belgian said wanted to prove himself despite reports that he had received offers from the Chinese Super League during the January transfer window.
“In my mind, I was never thinking about a move,” Benteke said. “I didn’t want to leave. I’ve still enough ambition and enough character to fight in difficult moments. I don’t give up easily. I fight till the end. Sure, this is not the easiest of situations but you always have to be ready.”
The Belgium striker was the second most expensive signing in the club’s history, at £32.5 million, bought to provide the firepower lacking since the departure of Luis Suárez to Barcelona and admitted that he was frustrated as things have not panned out as he hoped.
“It has not been easy but you have to be ready,” he said. “In the difficult moments you see who the fighters are, the strong men of character. A career is not only about beautiful moments, there are difficult moments. You have to be ready. I work hard in training to be ready when the coach needs me.
“Of course, it frustrates me, but that’s football too. I think, on Sunday, there were eight international players out of the starting 11. So I’m not competing against nobodies.”
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Benteke came on for the final ten minutes at Selhurst Park, replacing Divock Origi, his Belgium team-mate. Asked why Klopp preferred Origi, Benteke said: “It’s the manager’s choice. Maybe, at times, he needs Divock more than me. At other moments, me or maybe [Daniel] Sturridge. I haven’t talked with the manager to ask him why I’m not playing. I just wait for my chance.”
His previous two goals also earned Liverpool a victory against Leicester City and Sunderland in December. “So much the better, if I can help the team, I am happy,” he said.