Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk voiced his frustration with the officiating after Lucas Bergvall was not shown a second yellow card before scoring the late winner for Tottenham in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Bergvall's goal in the 86th minute gave Spurs a narrow 1-0 lead heading into the return leg at Anfield, but the incident surrounding the goal left Van Dijk visibly upset and questioning the referee's decisions.
The controversy stemmed from an earlier challenge by Bergvall on Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas. In the 81st minute, Bergvall, already on a yellow card, made a rash tackle on Tsimikas that left the Liverpool player needing medical attention. Despite the foul and the fact that Bergvall was already booked, the referee opted not to issue a second yellow card, much to the dismay of the Liverpool players and staff.
Following the incident, Bergvall went on to score Tottenham’s only goal just a minute later, taking advantage of a pass from Dominic Solanke to net his first goal for Spurs. The timing of the goal, coming so shortly after the contentious tackle, only added to the frustration felt by Liverpool, with Van Dijk making it clear that he believed the referee had made a mistake.
"I think it was pretty obvious that it should have been a second yellow," Van Dijk told Sky Sports after the match. "Obviously, I made it clear to the referee what I thought. It was no coincidence that a minute later he scored the winner, but it is what it is." Van Dijk's comments reflected his belief that the decision not to sanction Bergvall had a direct impact on the outcome of the game.
The Liverpool captain didn’t stop at just criticising the referee; he also expressed disappointment with the officiating team, including the use of VAR. "In my opinion, the referee made a mistake, and I told him that," Van Dijk said. "Everyone on the sidelines could see it should have been a yellow card." The failure to intervene through VAR only added to the sense of injustice felt by the Liverpool camp, as they believed the decision was clear-cut and should have been acted upon.
Despite the controversial nature of the decision, Van Dijk remained hopeful about Liverpool’s chances in the second leg at Anfield, knowing that his team has a strong record in the competition. "It’s not the only reason we lost," he admitted, acknowledging that there were other factors in the match, but he also stressed the significance of the incident. "It definitely had an impact on the game, though."
Liverpool’s performance in the competition remains impressive, with the team having advanced from seven of their last nine EFL Cup semi-final appearances. This defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marked only their second loss in the last 20 matches in this competition, the first being a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City in the fourth round of the 2022-23 edition. Despite the narrow defeat, Liverpool’s strong track record in cup competitions and their ability to bounce back from setbacks leaves Van Dijk confident that they can overturn the deficit in the second leg.
Manager Arne Slot also echoed this optimism, with Liverpool’s manager pointing to the team’s resilience and their ability to progress in the competition in the past. The Reds will now shift their focus to the return leg at Anfield, where they will look to turn the tie around and secure a spot in the final.
In the wake of the match, Van Dijk’s comments have sparked discussion about the consistency of officiating in high-profile cup ties and the role of VAR in addressing clear mistakes. While the result may have been hard to swallow for Liverpool, the team remains determined to fight for the EFL Cup in the second leg, aware that they still have a chance to make it to the final and defend their title.
