Replays prove van Dijk’s excuse wrong after Liverpool defeat

Virgil van Dijk believed the match officials missed a clear block on him in the build-up to Bournemouth’s winner on Saturday, but replays show he had no right to complain.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

Virgil van Dijk certainly had a mixed game for Liverpool against Bournemouth on Saturday, involved in goals at both ends of the pitch.

It began with van Dijk’s failed touch handing Alex Scott possession inside the six-yard box, with the Bournemouth man cutting back for Evanilson to score. The centre-back then played Alex Jimenez onside for Bournemouth’s second goal.

Van Dijk went some way to making amends just before the break, scoring a header from a corner, and Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with 10 minutes to go.

But the comeback was undone as Amine Adli turned home a Bournemouth winner in the 95th minute.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

Van Dijk was fuming after that winning goal, complaining to the referee at length and going on to suggest in his post-match interview that he was “clearly blocked”.

“What I felt on that pitch was that I was clearly blocked, but obviously the ref and the VAR don’t give it,” van Dijk said. “That’s something we then have to accept. But in my opinion, I was blocked.

“Listen, I can stand here and say ‘should it not be given?’, but it’s given.”

Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Yet reviews of the post-match footage show that whilst van Dijk was tripped while he went for the ball, it was his own teammate Curtis Jones who caused the problem.

There was no significant contact between a Bournemouth man and van Dijk, so there was no justification for the referee or VAR to rule out the goal.

“He was fouled, but he was fouled by his own player!” Jamie Redknapp joked to Sky Sports afterwards. “As he goes to win that ball, you can see there number 17 – Curtis Jones. [Van Dijk] just trips over him. As he goes to jump he catches his own man, then can’t get the header.”

With Bournemouth’s winner proving a valid one, there can be no complaints from reigning champions Liverpool that they now sit 14 points off the top of the Premier League table having played a game more than leaders Arsenal.