Virgil van Dijk slams referee Michael Oliver after Liverpool’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Everton, accusing the official of losing control of the game.
The Reds were denied a crucial win in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, with James Tarkowski’s stoppage-time equaliser leaving Van Dijk and his teammates frustrated.
Van Dijk was particularly critical of Oliver’s inconsistent decisions and failure to manage the game effectively. “The referee had a big part in the game today,” Van Dijk told TNT Sports.
“Certain challenges were given as a foul, and similar ones weren’t. It was disappointing to concede – a great strike – but very disappointing.”
The Liverpool captain also pointed to Oliver’s failure to award a foul on Ibrahima Konaté in the buildup to Tarkowski’s goal. Liverpool felt the decision was a clear error, but Oliver waved play on, allowing Everton to score their late equaliser.
Van Dijk also addressed the post-match fracas, which saw Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucouré sent off after the Everton midfielder celebrated in front of Liverpool’s fans.
“The referee didn’t have the game under control, I said that to him,” Van Dijk added. “It is a factor. Both teams had to deal with it.”
Oliver’s performance was further scrutinised for his handling of disciplinary decisions. Some fans felt Idrissa Gueye was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card in the first half, while Everton had similar complaints about Conor Bradley in the second period.
