Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has criticized center referee Michael Oliver for his officiating in the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Van Dijk accused Oliver of awarding Everton easy fouls while denying Liverpool similar calls throughout the high-intensity match on Wednesday night.
Speaking after the dramatic derby, which ended with James Tarkowski scoring a 98th-minute equalizer for David Moyes’ men, Van Dijk expressed his frustration.
“For Everton, it was the game of the year. We know that,” he said. “I told the referee he was giving lots of easy fouls to Everton, while the same fouls were not given to us. Quite remarkable…”
Before Tarkowski’s equalizer, Abdoulaye Doucoure appeared to be in an offside position, and Ibrahima Konate was fouled while attempting to clear the ball in his box.
Tensions flared at the end of the match when Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure nearly came to blows on the pitch.
Doucoure seemed to taunt Liverpool fans while celebrating, prompting Jones to shove him from behind. Both players grabbed each other’s shirts before teammates intervened.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who had shown visible frustration over Oliver’s decisions, received a red card after the final whistle. The Dutchman was sent off moments after shaking Oliver’s hand.
The draw cut Liverpool’s lead over Arsenal to seven points, with 14 matches remaining in the season.
