Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk did not hold back in his criticism of referee Michael Oliver following the controversial 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park.
The Dutch defender voiced his frustrations in a post-match interview, questioning the officiating and accusing Oliver of losing control of the game.
Virgil van Dijk takes sarcastic dig at Everton
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Van Dijk also aimed a sarcastic dig at Everton, suggesting that the Toffees treat the Merseyside derby as the most important fixture of their season.
“We all know this is their cup final. They will make it as difficult as possible for us.”
The Liverpool skipper also criticised the additional stoppage time, questioning how James Tarkowski’s equaliser in the 98th minute was allowed to stand when only five minutes of stoppage time were initially allocated.
Watch the full interview below:
“We all know this is their cup final.”
Virgil van Dijk reacts to Liverpool’s draw at Goodison Park ?
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Liverpool vs Everton marred with contentious officiating
Michael Oliver’s refereeing was a major talking point, as several decisions appeared to favor the home side.
Everton’s early goal came after a dubious free-kick, awarded despite what appeared to be no contact between the players. Liverpool’s defense was caught off guard as Beto converted the quickly-taken set-piece to put Everton ahead in the 11th minute.
Liverpool responded swiftly, with Alexis Mac Allister heading in a Mohamed Salah cross just four minutes later to level the score. Salah then put the Reds ahead in the second half with a superb first-time finish.
However, controversy struck late in the game when James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute goal salvaged a point for Everton—three minutes beyond the allocated stoppage time. There appeared to be a foul on Konate in the build-up and the goal was briefly checked by VAR, and the goal was given.
Liverpool hurried to restart, launching a long ball forward, but Michael Oliver blew the full-time whistle immediately.
The final whistle sparked chaos as Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré appeared to taunt Liverpool supporters, leading to a furious reaction from Curtis Jones. A heated brawl erupted between both sets of players, forcing Michael Oliver to dish out red cards to both Doucouré and Jones as well as to Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
The draw means Liverpool now hold a seven-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, though a win would have put them in a commanding nine-point advantage.
Liverpool will be without Curtis Jones in the next match while manager Arne Slot will also not be available on the sidelines.
There could potentially be more problems for Liverpool if the FA decides to punish van Dijk for his comments in the post match interview regarding Michael Oliver’s officiating. Whether his comments are punished or not remains to be seen.
