Liverpool are reportedly preparing for a formal contact from the Premier League after they were accused of multiple breaches of the competition’s multi-ball system during Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United.
The Daily Mail reports that the Reds breached protocols at Anfield by accelerating play and attempting to chase a late equalizer.
Liverpool brace for Premier League warning for breaching rules
The multi-ball system, introduced to reduce wasted time, requires spare balls to be placed in cones around the pitch and clearly prohibits ball officials from handing balls directly to players.
However, in the final minutes after Harry Maguire’s 84th-minute winning goal, ball boys and girls were allegedly seen throwing the ball at Liverpool players on several occasions.
Furthermore, manager Arne Slott himself was seen passing the ball to one of his players near the 90th minute.
The offense reportedly raised eyebrows among the traveling Manchester United delegation, but the Reds Devils did not lodge a formal complaint.
Unlike Aston Villa, who were fined £125,000 and banned from using the system for a similar breach last season, Liverpool are expected to only need a warning to continue to comply with the rules.
That’s because Villa was charged with multiple ongoing violations. Considering this was Liverpool’s first offense, they received a slap on the wrist and were sent off.
Liverpool criticized after 4 consecutive losses
The decline in form for the Premier League champions is noticeable. A lot will happen during the summer that will affect the team’s performance.
The tragic death of teammate Diogo Jota will undoubtedly have affected the performance of some players.
Another factor was the reorganization of the main squad, with a significant number of first-team players leaving the club, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.
All the new players are world-class players, but they haven’t hit their stride yet.
Arne Slot’s side, which received a lot of praise from fans and experts, is now starting to attract harsh criticism.
Jamie Redknapp was one of the pundits who didn’t hold back in his criticism after the United defeat.
He told Sky Sports:
“It could have gone either way, but that’s exactly how it felt today. Even when he (Arne Slott) was substituted, there was always an atmosphere of desperation.
“There was never any lull in the game…even if they tied the score, their reaction afterwards…was chaotic.
“I’ve never felt like they were that calm. It’s a blow to lose four on the spin. I don’t think anyone expected that to happen.”
“All the players that came in here, when you saw them on paper you thought, ‘Wow, that’s a great deal,’ but now we have more questions than answers about them.”