Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish believes officials should explain decisions after Howard Webb awarded a controversial penalty during the home defeat to Tottenham.

Steven Pienaar went down under a seemingly legitimate challenge from youngster John Flanagan early in the second half, but Webb awarded a spot kick and Luka Modric converted to wrap up a win for Spurs.

When asked on his thoughts regarding the penalty after the game, Dalglish told reporters: “I’m not here to sponsor the FA. It’s unhelpful to everybody that we can’t express our true thoughts and it’s even more disappointing that the officials get away scot-free without having the explain their decisions.”

However, the Scot admitted that the defeat, which saw Liverpool fail to find the net in the league for the first time this year, was deserved.

“I think they started better than we did; they kept the ball better in the first 35 minutes,” he added. “We started to look a bit better but then early in the second half they got the second goal and it was difficult for us to break them down and from there it was difficult for us to penetrate their goal but having said that, I don’t think Pepe [Reina] was overly busy either.

“We never played as well as we can play and that’s the disappointing thing for the players because it would have been a fitting way for them to finish the last game at Anfield for the season for their efforts since January, but maybe it was too much for them.

“I don’t know why we lost. I’m sure there will be plenty of speculation but I can’t be specific about it. We don’t know why we didn’t start as well as we have done but I suppose like everything else that you get, these things happen.”

The result means Spurs leapfrog Liverpool into fifth spot and a qualifying place for the Europa League, but Dalglish refused to be drawn on that.

“It’s not a race for fifth place, we’ve just got to look after ourselves,” he added.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has kept forward Lionel Messi on the bench for their Primera Division encounter with Deportivo La Coruna at Camp Nou tonight.

Midfield maestro Xavi too has been left out of the starting line-up and so is defenders Daniel Alves and Maxwell.

Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Andres Iniests and David Villa all have been kept out of the squad together.

Left-back Eric Abidal, who has only just returned from surgery to remove a tumour, starts once again and so does Javier Mascherano in central defence.

Barcelona starting XI: Valdes; Bartra, Fontas, Mascherano, Abidal; Keita, Thiago, Dos Santos; Afellay, Jeffren, Bojan

Deportivo La Coruna XI: Aranzubia; M. Pablo, Lopo, Colotto, Laure; Aythami, Ruben Perez, Juan Rodriguez, Valeron; Adrian, Lassad

Arsene Wenger has lamented Arsenal’s end-of-season capitulation after a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa hands Manchester City the advantage in the race for a third placed finish in the Premier league.

A win would have taken the Gunners to within a point of second placed Chelsea but as it stands, City have a game in hand at home against Stoke, with a win seeing them leapfrog Arsenal in the table.

With the top three in the Premier League assured of automatic Champions League qualification, the fourth placed side face the potential banana-skin of a two-legged qualification tie – which almost provided a stumbling block for Tottenham earlier this season.

After the game, Wenger admitted that failure to finish in the top three represented a poor return for his side who were fighting on four fronts just a few weeks back, yet have now slumped to three defeats in their last four Premier League games.

“Of course we are frustrated,” he told reporters.

“We dropped three points today that could cost us automatic qualification for the Champions League. It will be a big setback to finish fourth.

“We have been hit hard recently by bad performance and results. You can see we suffered at the start today but we have to raise above that. We were nervous defensively.”

Wenger’s tormentor was Darren Bent, who clinically struck twice inside the opening twenty minutes to provide an insurmountable challenge to the Gunners.

Despite the impressive nature of Bent’s finishing, Arsenal looked rocky at the back, with their central defensive pairing easily breached.

Thomas Vermaelen was returning after nine months on the sidelines as Sebastien Squillaci looked woefully short of confidence before being pulled off at half-time.

“We were punished because we went into the game too tentative and we gave cheap goals away,” said Wenger.

“They [Vermaelen and Squillaci] are two players of experience and normally they should be able to work together, but I don’t know.

“Vermaelen looked stronger and stronger as the game went on, and of course he hasn’t played since September. Soon he will be dominant like he was before.”

The result lends gravity to the recent clamour for a massive upheaval at the Emirates over the summer, a feeling that was made tangible by boos throughout the game and a mass exodus before the obligatory lap-of-honour at the end of the game.

The ground quickly emptied at the final whistle, giving the lap less a feeling of celebration than apology.

“It was not embarrassing,” said Wenger of the proceedings after the final whistle.

“It’s our job to thank the fans and you never have to be embarrassed when you do your job.

“It wasn’t a lap of glory, of course, but no matter the result, you have to respect your fans for turning up. It is not an ego trip – it is a respect trip.

“The fans want to win football games, when we don’t they are not happy.

“We will try to strengthen of course, but the best way to keep our fans happy is to win games.”

Kenny Dalglish has called for Liverpool to continue spending following his appointment as permanent manager on a three-year deal.
The Scot, along with his assistant Steve Clarke, who also signed a three-year contract on Thursday, have guided the club from the bottom half of the table to fifth and are closing in on a Europa League place.

Dalglish bought Luis Suarez for £22.7 (€26) million from Ajax and Andy Carroll for £35m (€40) from Newcastle United during the January transfer window and insists Liverpool are set for further business in the summer, with players both arriving and departing from Anfield.

“Whether it’s massively or whether it’s cheaply, it doesn’t make any difference as long as you spend well, and as long as the players are playing well,” Dalglish told reporters.

“Budgets are all very well and good but they don’t guarantee you anything. For ourselves, like every other football club, there’ll be movement in and out and I’m sure there’ll be plenty [of] speculation. Some we may even recognise their names, but I’m sure that’ll be minimal as well.

“For us there will be movement in and out, that’s part of pre-season, part and parcel of football. We’ll be doing business, but the better we do the business the more successful we will be.

“We’re not going to sit and shout our mouth off about what we’re going to do, the boys have been fantastic – especially recently.”

Dalglish also reserved praise for Clarke, and insists his second in command is also responsible for his side’s upturn in form since his arrival in January.

He said: “We’re delighted it’s gone as well as it has done. I say ‘we’ because Steve’s [Clarke] is as important as I am to the club. We came in as a partnership – he came in the day after I arrived at the club – so we’ve been here from the outset since January, and he’s made a great contribution.

“So for the two of us to come, and for it to go so well, has really been enjoyable for us.

“We knew what was going on [with our futures], we never had a problem with what was going on. We’ve been happy with everything since we come here, the way the players have gone about their work. Their attitude and commit in training and taking that onto the pitch, and their desire to be successful.”

Dalglish has also hinted Liverpool’s director of football Damien Comolli is keeping him up to date with potential signings and insists the club have steadied since the turn of the year.

He added: “The owners have been superbly supportive. Damien’s [Comolli] been fantastic getting us up to speed with any players that might be coming about, so everything was in place.

“The place is much more stable now that in was before, the supporters have got a wee smile on their face, and it’s up to us to keep that smile there for as long as we can.”

Genoa are tracking Colo Colo midfielder Cristobal Jorquera and Universidad de Chile’s Felipe Seymour, reports Datasport.

The report claims that Seymour, who is also wanted by Cruz Azul, has strong admirers in the Italian port city.

The 22-year-old midfielder has also been linked with Udinese and Fiorentina after previous interest appeared during the winter transfer window.

It is said Genoa could get their man for around $2 million (€1.4m). However, the Grifoni also face stiff competition from Portuguese sides Porto and Sporting.

Meanwhile, Jorquera, 23, who has scored four goals in 13 games, is also on Enrico Preziosi’s radar.

Despite his small stature, Jorquera has been described as a little diamond by experts in Chile. He is strong, has pace and power, and is famed for scoring some stellar goals.