Virgil van Dijk reveals what he told the referee at full-time after Liverpool’s loss to Tottenham

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Liverpool had a right to be aggrieved following a controversial loss against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

The Reds went down 1-0 against Spurs, losing to a late Lucas Bergvall goal.

Bergvall really should not have been on the pitch, but escaped a clear second yellow card following a foul on Kostas Tsimikas.

Tsimikas was still off the pitch when the 18-year-old inevitably swept home Dominic Solanke’s pass.

While Liverpool did not deserve anything from the game as a whole, the Reds were left furious with referee Stuart Attwell and let him know their feelings.

And speaking immediately after the game, captain Virgil van Dijk revealed what he’d said to Attwell following the final whistle.

Virgil van Dijk reveals referee chat

Van Dijk was visibly frustrated following Bergvall’s winning goal. The 33-year-old knew the Tottenham man should have been halfway to the home dressing room already.

Asked about his irritation straight after full-time, Van Dijk said he’d simply told Atwell that he thought he’d made a mistake.

“I think it was quite obvious it was going to be a second yellow,” the Dutchman told Sky Sports.

“Obviously I think it was pretty clear. It was a coincide that a minute later he scores the winner. But it is what it is.”

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“He made a mistake in my opinion. I told him that,” Van Dijk added. “He thinks maybe he didn’t but it was quite obvious I think and everyone on the sidelines knew.

“The fact is that he should have been off. There is a linesman there, a fourth official, there is VAR and there is a referee and he doesn’t get a second yellow. I am not saying this is the reason we lost, of course, but it was a big moment in the game.”

Liverpool left fuming by referee blunder

There was no excuse for Atwell not to send Bergvall off following such a late challenge on Tsimikas.

Perhaps there was a little more debate about the young Swede’s first yellow card, but he still went in high and late on Luis Diaz, even if there was no contact.

Clearly, Liverpool should still have defended far better than they did for the goal, with Ibrahima Konate in particular at real failt.

But the fact that Tsimikas was still off the pitch receiving treatment for the goal meant that Liverpool were pulled out of shape.

A really poor series of play which will leave a bad taste in the mouth for some time to come.