Following his contentious dismissal against Newcastle on Sunday, Virgil van Dijk may be subject to additional sanctions. Just 28 minutes into the match at St. James’ Park, the Liverpool captain was sent off for kicking through Alexander Isak to get to the ball.
The decision came shortly after Trent Alexander-Arnold, a former Liverpool player, made a mistake that allowed Anthony Gordon to give Newcastle the lead. With Isak coming in from behind, Van Dijk was deemed to have prevented a clear chance to score and was given a straight red card by referee John Brooks.
Van Dijk was given his first red card in his Liverpool career after VAR did not overturn the decision. The regulations state that the Dutchman will only be suspended for one game, the forthcoming Aston Villa game at Anfield, because it wasn’t for aggressive behavior.
His post-dismissal behavior, though, might need a longer suspension. The fact that Van Dijk yelled profanities at the referee and reportedly called the ruling a “f***ing joke” as he lost his cool and resisted leaving the field without a fight was obvious from his lip movement.
The former Southampton player was also seen getting into a heated argument with fourth official Craig Pawson as he walked down the tunnel, which can be considered “improper conduct.”
Van Dijk disagreed as he launched a verbal barrage on fourth official Craig Pawson, which was out of line. Depending on what is written in the referee’s report, Van Dijk may find himself in further trouble with the football authorities. Former referee Mike Dean, who has been in the news for comments made on a podcast this week, explained the situation.
There were differing views on the red card, but veteran defender Jamie Carragher was emphatic that it was impossible to determine whether it presented a “goalscoring opportunity.”
Jurgen Klopp, the manager, dissented with his selection, saying in a press conference: “I don’t think it is a red card. What can I say? There is essentially no contact, very little contact, and it is on the way to the ball. I am powerless to change the choice and I don’t want to.
However, the red card inspired Liverpool, who rallied from a deficit to win by a significant margin thanks to a dramatic late double from Darwin Nunez.
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