Virgil van Dijk reveals what he told referee about Lucas Bergvall’s controversial winner during Spurs vs Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk has shared what he told referee Stuart Atwell regarding Lucas Bergvall’s controversial goal that secured Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

The match, held on Wednesday, saw Tottenham claim the victory with a goal from Bergvall in the 86th minute, despite Liverpool being favored. After the match, Van Dijk was seen speaking with Atwell, and he later explained his thoughts in an interview with Sky Sports. Van Dijk expressed his belief that Bergvall should have received a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas just before scoring.

He said, “It was clear that it should have been a second yellow. It was obvious, and it was just a coincidence that he scored shortly after. But it’s what it is. I told the referee, and he disagreed, but it was clear, and everyone knew it should have been a second yellow.”

Van Dijk went on to emphasize that Bergvall should have been sent off, noting that there were multiple officials involved, including the linesman, fourth official, VAR, and the referee, yet no second yellow was given.

While he acknowledged that the missed decision didn’t directly cause the loss, he described it as a pivotal moment in the match.

Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, agreed with Van Dijk, saying in his post-match interview, “No debate, it should have been a second yellow for Bergvall. On Sunday, a decision went against Spurs, today it worked in their favor. It’s unfortunate for us.”

The result marked Liverpool’s second loss under Slot and ended their 24-match unbeaten streak. However, Liverpool will have the chance to recover in the second leg at Anfield next month.