Virgil van Dijk may solely smile wryly as he gave his two cents on the most important speaking level from Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham tonight.
The Reds have been crushed 1-0 in north London after a late winner from Lucas Bergvall, who was lucky to not have been proven a second yellow card simply earlier than the match-deciding second.
The objective sparked a livid response from the guests’ bench, with Arne Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff booked by Stuart Attwell for his vociferous protests and the LFC head coach doing properly to restrain his feelings when approaching the officers at full-time.
Van Dijk had phrases with Attwell
Chatting with Sky Sports activities after the match, Van Dijk insisted that the referee made an error in not displaying Bergvall a second yellow card for a rash problem on Kostas Tsimikas, who occurred to be off the pitch getting remedy in the mean time that Tottenham’s objective was scored.
The Liverpool captain stated of the contentious foul: “I feel it was fairly apparent that it was going to be a second yellow. Clearly I feel it was fairly clear [what I said to the referee]. It was no coincidence then a minute later he scores the winner, however it’s what it’s.
“He made a mistake for my part and I advised him that. He thinks perhaps he didn’t but it surely was fairly apparent I feel and everybody on the sidelines knew it was presupposed to be a yellow. [Bergvall] ought to’ve been off.
“There’s a linesman there, a fourth official. There may be VAR there and a referee, and he doesn’t get a second yellow. I’m not saying that is the rationale we misplaced at present, but it surely was a giant second within the sport.”
“He ought to’ve been despatched off.” 😡
Virgil van Dijk was not pleased that Lucas Bergvall was nonetheless on the pitch when he bagged Spurs’ winner towards Liverpool 😬 pic.twitter.com/tNMifZmjVO
— Sky Sports activities Soccer (@SkyFootball) January 8, 2025
Van Dijk proper to name out the officers
Van Dijk might have been smiling when he gave his ideas on Bergvall avoiding a second yellow card, but it surely was clear to see that he was raging at Attwell for bottling a pivotal determination.
Because the Liverpool captain rightly identified, the assistant referees additionally uncared for to get entangled after they would’ve had a case for doing so, not that the on-field whistler ought to’ve wanted their enter for what appeared a straightforward sufficient name to make.
Sure, the Reds have been poor general and had survived a few scares earlier than the successful objective, they usually have the second leg to retrieve the deficit from tonight, however that doesn’t excuse the abdication of obligation from the match officers when it got here to a vital second.
Van Dijk got here out to face the music after his staff’s defeat, however Attwell was capable of slip away from north London with out having to clarify why he failed to indicate a second yellow card to Bergvall. Does that appear proper to you?
