West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini believes Liverpool should not have been allowed to clear only half their pitch of snow in their 1-1 draw with Leicester earlier this week.
The Reds failed to move seven points clear in the title race as Harry Maguire’s equaliser cancelled out Sadio Mane’s early opener on Wednesday night.
Questions were raised after the match as footage showed Liverpool’s ground staff had cleared the pitch of snow at half-time – but they only touched the Kop end.
That was the end Liverpool were attacking in the second half, and fans believed the ground staff had been ordered to do so to give the Reds an advantage.
Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, has since insisted there was no plan in place to clear just half the pitch, with the lack of manpower preventing the ground staff from covering the entire Anfield turf throughout the 15-minute break for half-time.
“It was clear our ground staff tried to clear it, but they didn’t have enough manpower,” Klopp said. “They realised how difficult it was when they started doing it, not before.
“There was no plan, nobody told them, I can swear, to clear only our side or our box.
“I hear people say it’s unsporting, but it’s an advantage if their box is clear then it’s better to defend.
“It’s no coincidence that in the first half we scored a goal in a box that was full of snow. That’s how it is, we cannot change it.”
Nonetheless, Pellegrini – whose West Ham side host Liverpool on Monday night – believes the referee should have intervened as Liverpool’s inability to clear snow from half the pitch goes against the spirit of fair play.
Speaking in a press conference, Pellegrini said: “That’s a decision the referee should not have allowed. For me, the fair play is always very important. In every pitch, the whole thing must be for both teams.”
West Ham are on a poor run of form at the moment, having lost each of their previous three matches – including to League One bottom club AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup.
Pellegrini, however, is sure the Hammers can get back to winning ways against Liverpool, even if Klopp’s side remain at the top of the Premier League table.
“Of course we can beat Liverpool on Monday because every team can win every match in the Premier League,” he added. “I don’t know if they are nervous because I was not there in midweek. It will depend on their performance rather than the nerves.
“We want to beat Liverpool. We cannot play on nerves because they have top players who can change the game at any time.
“We need to play at high pace like we did at home to Arsenal and Manchester United and other clubs.”