Virgil van Dijk questioned referee Michael Oliver’s performance as the Liverpool skipper said the official lost control in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Everton after it ended in a brawl.
Liverpool thought they had secured a nine-pointer in the Premier League title chase after Mohamed Salah’s strike with less than 20 minutes left to play.
But they were surprised as Oliver let the game run past the added five due to an injury to Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. James Tarkowski then slammed home the equaliser in a last-gasp volley to nick a point for Everton.
In the post match interviews, the Liverpool captain said: “I think the ref didn’t have the game under control in my opinion, I said it to him. I don’t know what it is but both teams have to deal with it. Listen, it is what it is. We take a point and move on.
“Obviously it is very disappointing to lose it in the last second of the game – or even over extra-time. Listen, it is what it is. It’s not easy to accept it, especially in the manner how, but we take it and move on.
“It was over extra-time. I think the referee had a big part in the game in terms of certain challenges, giving a foul or similar didn’t, but in the end it is just disappointing to concede. A very good strike, actually, but a disappointing one.”
The local rivals came to blows when Curtis Jones scrapped with Abdoulaye Doucoure for deliberately celebrating in front of the Liverpool fans in their small section of Goodison Park.
“They celebrated the goal as they have all the right to but I think Doucoure in the end wanted to provoke our fans,” the Netherlands international added:”I think that is what I saw. Curtis didn’t think that was the right thing to do then you know what happens when there is a little tussle, or whatever you want to call it.”