Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp risks getting a touchline ban for the team's upcoming key games over a feud with a referee who was strongly defended on Monday by the Premier League's match officials group.

After Liverpool scored an injury-time winner for a 4-3 victory against Tottenham on Sunday — having given up a 3-0 lead — Klopp ran straight over to the fourth official on the sideline to celebrate in front of him. Klopp, who seemed to pull his hamstring in the process, was then shown a yellow card by referee Paul Tierney.

Klopp acknowledged he deserved the booking for his celebration but then accused Tierney of saying something that was “not OK” and suggested that the referee had some kind of agenda against his club. The German manager also criticised Tierney after last season's 2-2 draw against Tottenham for failing to send off star striker Harry Kane in the game.

“We have our history with Tierney. I really don't know what this man has with us. I really don't know. He always will say there's nothing, and it's not true. It cannot be," Klopp said on Sunday.

"I'm really not sure if it's me, because how he looks at me, I don't understand it. My celebration towards the fourth official, I didn't say any bad words, nothing, but it was unnecessary. I got punished for that immediately, I pulled my hamstring or an adductor. So fine, that's fair. But what he said to me then when he gave me the yellow card... it's not OK."

However, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited — which oversees referees for the Premier League — defended Tierney after reviewing the audio of his conversation with Klopp.

“Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all games via a communications system," the PGMOL said in a statement on Monday, adding that Tierney "acted in a professional manner throughout including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager so, therefore, we strongly refute any suggestion that Tierney's actions were improper.”

Klopp, who also criticised Tierney for awarding Tottenham a free-kick that led to the equaliser, could face further disciplinary action ahead of Liverpool's remaining five games.

Fifth-placed Liverpool still have an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League, but would need to close a seven-point gap to fourth-place Manchester United, who have played one game fewer.

Klopp served a one-game ban and was warned about his conduct when the English Football Association won an appeal case over the German's criticism of an assistant referee during a home win over Manchester City in October.