Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk has revealed what he told referee Stuart Attwell after his side’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Lucas Bergvall scored the only goal of the match to give Tottenham a first leg advantage.
Speaking after the match, Van Dijk said the told Attwell that he had made a ‘mistake’ not sending off Bergvall before the youngster’s late goal against Liverpool.
The Netherlands defender felt Bergvall should have been given his marching orders for a second bookable offence just a minute earlier in the play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Bergvall had been shown a yellow card for a clumsy sliding challenge on Luis Diaz in the 68th minute.
The 18-year-old went unpunished for a later foul on Kostas Tsimikas – which appeared far worse than his first.
“Listen, I think it was quite obvious that it was going to be a second yellow,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.
“I think that was pretty clear and it was a coincidence that a minute later he scores the winner.
“But it is what it is. He made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that.
“He thinks maybe he didn’t but it was quite obvious.
“Everyone on the sideline knew exactly that it was supposed to be a yellow.”
Liverpool will now hope to overturn the tie when they host Tottenham in the return leg at Anfield in February.
