“We saw how they celebrated the goal, they have all the right to.”
Last night’s Merseyside derby – the last one at Goodison Park – did not disappoint, with a 98th minute from James Tarkowski earning the Toffees a 2-2 draw.
The result leaves the Reds seven points ahead of Arsenal in second, while Everton extended their unbeaten Premier League run under David Moyes to four games, leaving them in 15th.
After the game, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk fired a dig at Everton in his interview with TNT Sports.
After the late Tarkowski equaliser, chaos descended between the two sides, resulting in the sending-offs of Arne Slot, Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucouré.
And in his post-match interview, Van Dijk pulled no punches with a remark which has been described by fans as ‘brutal’.
Speaking to TNT Sports, the Netherlands international stated: “We saw how they celebrated the goal, they have all the right to.
“I think Abdoulaye Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans, I think that is what I saw and Curtis Jones didn’t think it was the right thing to do. And then you know what happens if there is a little tussle.
“I didn’t think the referee had the game under control. Both teams had to deal with it. This was their cup final.
“I think the referee had a big part in the game, in terms of certain challenges were given as fouls and similar weren’t.”
