In a post-match interview with Sky Sports following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, captain Virgil van Dijk shared his thoughts on referee Stuart Attwell’s controversial decision not to send off Lucas Bergvall, who scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute.
Bergvall, 18, delivered a standout performance, capping it with a curling strike past Alisson Becker. However, Van Dijk and many others believe the Swedish midfielder should have been dismissed earlier for two bookable offenses. Bergvall was initially booked in the 68th minute for a slide tackle on Luis Diaz, despite minimal contact. Later, he escaped further punishment after lunging at Kostas Tsimikas to disrupt a counterattack, even though he was already on a yellow card. To add to Liverpool’s frustration, Tsimikas was off the field when Bergvall scored the winner.
Speaking to Sky Sports, a visibly frustrated Van Dijk criticized the referee’s decision:
“Listen, I think it was quite obvious that it should have been a second yellow. It was clear, and it’s no coincidence that, a minute later, he scores the winner. But it is what it is. He made a mistake, in my opinion, and I told him that. He thinks otherwise, but everyone on the sidelines knew it should’ve been a yellow.”
When asked if Tsimikas’s absence during Bergvall’s goal was significant, Van Dijk admitted he wasn’t fully aware of the timing but reiterated his main frustration:
“The fact is, he should have been off. There’s a linesman, a fourth official, VAR, and a referee, yet no second yellow was shown. I’m not saying this is why we lost, but it was a crucial moment in the game.”
Liverpool and Tottenham are set to meet again in the second leg at Anfield on February 6, where they will battle for a spot in the Carabao Cup final against either Newcastle United or Arsenal.
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