Harry Kane and Erik Lamela deny diving claims as Liverpool fume over Tottenham penalties

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Tom Collomosse5 February 2018

Harry Kane and Erik Lamela have hit back at claims of diving after they were accused of bending the rules to win penalties at Liverpool.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk said Tottenham striker Kane “dived” over Reds keeper Loris Karius for the first spot-kick, which the England forward missed with the score at 1-1.

After Mohamed Salah had restored Liverpool’s lead in stoppage time, substitute Lamela went down under a challenge from Van Dijk and this time Kane made no mistake to ensure Spurs left Anfield with a 2-2 draw.

“I think it is a dive,” said Van Dijk. “You see him diving clearly.”

Karius admitted he may have made contact with Kane and asked whether he had, Kane said: “Yeah. He dived, he got in the way and I’m a player. It’s football so I’m not going to jump out of the way. I definitely felt contact and I went down.

“With Lamela’s, the linesman showed amazing character to give it because a lot happened involving him before the first penalty, so to give that one was massive.”

Footage on BBC’s Match of the Day 2, taken before the first penalty, showed referee Jon Moss and linesman Eddie Smart discussing whether Kane should have been given offside during the first penalty incident.

Smart made clear to Moss that if Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren had touched Dele Alli’s through-ball - as he did - then Kane should be ruled onside. Moss says he had “no idea” whether Lovren touched the ball and then appears to ask Martin Atkinson, the fourth official, whether he has seen anything. Immediately afterwards, Moss says: “I am giving the penalty”.

Photo: Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool FC via Getty Images

By the law, Moss made the correct decision, although Liverpool may be interested in why he appeared to speak to Atkinson in his earpiece.

There were also lengthy discussions before the second penalty, with Van Dijk appearing to catch Lamela as he attempted a clearance.

Van Dijk and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp were angry at the call but Lamela said: “He definitely caught me because it hurt afterwards. Maybe he meant to play the ball and not catch me; I’d need to see it again on TV.

“It was a crazy game. When I came on, we were really pushing for the equaliser and just about everything that could have happened, did happen, and in the final few minutes, too.

“We could have won, we could have lost, but in the end it was a deserved point.”

Kane, meanwhile, believes he can claim a double century of Premier League goals quicker than he brought up his hundred.

Photo: Getty Images
Getty Images

Kane needed 141 games to make three figures, with only Alan Shearer, who took 124, hitting the target in less time.

Kane said: “Two hundred has to be the aim - and hopefully quicker than I got to 100. It is nice, I am going to enjoy the moment, but let’s see how many I can get this year and go from there.

“Hopefully I can get better and better. I am 24 years old, that’s not young but it’s not old so I’ve still got a lot of learning to do. I feel I am getting more experience year by year and I feel I am getting stronger and more physical and hopefully that just continues.

“I will always keep trying to work hard and get better.”

Kane leads the Premier League scoring charts with 22 goals. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who struck twice yesterday at Anfield, has 21.

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