Angry Virgil van Dijk reveals what he told referee about ‘obvious’ Liverpool mistake

Following Liverpool’s loss to Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, Virgil van Dijk confronted referee Stuart Attwell after Lucas Bergvall, the game-winning player, escaped a dismissal.

After Liverpool lost to Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, a furious Virgil van Dijk told Stuart Attwell he had erred.

Spurs won the match thanks to a goal from Lucas Bergvall four minutes from the end. The second leg will take place at Anfield in February. However, Bergvall’s appearance on the field to score the game-winning goal infuriated Liverpool, as the midfielder seemed to foul Kostas Tsimikas while on a yellow card.

The Spurs player was able to score the game-winning goal because referee Attwell decided not to give him a second yellow card. At the final whistle, Van Dijk confronted the official, leaving the Reds incensed.

Before returning to the dressing room, the Dutchman seemed to have an argument with the referee. Furthermore, Van Dijk has now disclosed that he explicitly informed Attwell of the error.

“Hey, I believe it was pretty clear that there would be a second yellow. It is what it is. I told him that I thought he had made a mistake. Van Dijk told Sky Sports, “Even though he didn’t agree, everyone on the sideline can see that he did.”

“He ought to have been away. A referee, a VAR, a fourth official, and a linesman are present. It was a significant event. We played against an intense team with good attacking players. Unfortunately we didn’t score. It’s half-time now and I’m looking forward to the game back at Anfield.

“At times we could have done better but that’s part of football. We created some dangerus moments but they were bale to defend it better than two weeks ago. We have another 90 minutes to go and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou insisted Attwell had made the right decision. He told Sky Sports: “The rule is, if advantage gets played and it’s not a cynical tackle, it’s not a yellow vard. To me that was pretty clear. That’s the rule. We abided by the rules today.”

Van Dijk’s stance was backed by Sky’s punditry team, including former Spurs stars Michael Dawson and Jamie Redknapp. Dawson did insist that the first foul by Bergvall did not deserve a booking, but that the youngster should have seen red.

He said: “If Stuart Attwell gets the first one right he puts himself in a position. I don’t think the first one is a yellow card. He gives him an opportunity and a decision to make. The second should have been a yellow card. If you get one right and one wrong you can’t even it up.”

Redknapp meanwhile insisted that the desicision had a huge impact on the course of the match. He pointed out that Tsimikas had been forced to go off for treatment, leaving Liverpool with 10 men.

He said: “It has a monumental effect on the rest of the game. He has to come off for treatment and that leaves Liverpool with 10 men. So not only do you still have Bergvall on the pitch but Liverpool have to play with 10 men. But Spurs certainly make it count.”