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Virgil van Dijk blasts referee Michael Oliver for losing control of Merseyside derby as Liverpool concede late equaliser in chaotic scenes
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has criticized referee Michael Oliver for losing control of the Merseyside derby, which ended in chaos after Everton’s dramatic late equalizer.
In what was a fiery final derby at Goodison Park, Everton snatched a 2-2 draw in the 98th minute when James Tarkowski hammered a stunning volley past Alisson Becker.
The Toffees’ wild celebrations, however, quickly escalated into a heated altercation after Abdoulaye Doucoure appeared to provoke the Liverpool away fans. Curtis Jones confronted the Everton midfielder, sparking a mass brawl involving players, coaching staff, and even security personnel.
Referee Oliver responded by brandishing red cards to both Doucoure and Jones, while also dismissing Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff for their furious protests.
Van Dijk later expressed his frustration with the officiating, telling TNT Sport:
“Obviously, they had every right to celebrate their goal, but Doucoure went overboard by provoking our fans. Curtis stepped in, and from there, things escalated. I just feel the referee didn’t have the game under control. Both teams had to deal with it, but we have to move on.”
Despite the draw, Liverpool still sit seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. The Reds will now shift their focus to their next match against Wolves on Sunday, February 16.