Wednesday 30 January 2019 10:20, UK
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool's standing in the Premier League has amplified accusations that Mohamed Salah is diving in order to win penalties.
Salah was accused of going down too easily during Liverpool's 4-3 win over Crystal Palace in the league leaders' last outing.
No penalty was awarded after the Egyptian went to ground under a challenge from Mamadou Sakho, with Liverpool trailing 1-0 at the time.
The incident occurred after Salah earned and duly dispatched penalties in wins over Brighton, Arsenal and Newcastle, and Klopp stressed one occurrence of alleged diving after three awarded spot-kicks has not warranted a discussion with the player about his actions.
"This is the first situation where he went down without [a penalty] and you speak about all the other situations as well?" Klopp said.
"The other situations there is nothing to talk about - it is a penalty, done. If this is the first then why do we talk about?
"There are other situations, much more obvious situations, that we don't talk about and nobody is talking about because it's not [Manchester] City, it's not [Manchester] United, it's not Liverpool, it's not Arsenal or it's not Chelsea. All the others can do it from time to time and nobody really talks about it. It's all fine.
"All the penalties against him [Salah] were penalties but people handle it like it was halfway diving - it was not. We don't need blood for a foul in football. That's all I will say about it. No, I didn't speak to him about it."
Liverpool host Leicester on Wednesday as they look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points following Manchester City's loss at Newcastle.
During his defence of Salah, Klopp cited an incident from earlier this month when Leicester's Jamie Vardy was accused of diving against Southampton, suggesting it is unlikely the striker was rebuked for his actions.
"Did anyone talk to Jamie Vardy when, I forget the opponent [Southampton], everybody saw, you remember the situation?" Klopp added.
"That was proper... he jumped in. Is Jamie a bad person because of that? I don't say now he is a diver. That is another situation.
"You have them in the back, you are there, you feel something, do you have to go down? Probably not. I don't have to speak to players about obvious things. He knows that. Don't go down in situations like that."
