Liverpool’s captain Virgil Van Dijk calls out referee Attwell over pivotal call in Tottenham cup loss

Liverpool lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final after Lucas Bergvall scored an 86th-minute winner.

Chirag

January 9, 2025

Liverpool suffered a surprising defeat to Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final in North London, courtesy of an 86th-minute winner from 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall. However, the match was marred by controversy as Bergvall escaped a second yellow card for a challenge on Kostas Tsimikas moments before scoring. With Tsimikas off the field, Bergvall capitalized on a counter-attack, prompting heavy criticism from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk expressed his frustration:
“I think it was quite obvious it should have been a second yellow. I told the referee my thoughts, and everyone on the sidelines could see it was a clear decision. There’s a linesman, a fourth official, and VAR, yet it wasn’t given. While I’m not saying this is why we lost, it was a pivotal moment in the game.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot also voiced his discontent, criticizing the officiating:
“It was a good goal from Bergvall—let that be clear. But the foul before the goal is what everyone is talking about. Decisions like these are said to balance out, but I don’t believe that. We were unlucky today, and I never felt like we were going to lose this game. Now we’re in a difficult position heading into the second leg.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou defended the referee’s decision, explaining:
“We’ve been told that if the referee plays advantage and the foul isn’t cynical, a yellow card isn’t given. That’s been consistently communicated to us in recent weeks. While I understand the frustration, we’ve also been on the receiving end of similar calls.”

The semi-final remains undecided, with the second leg set to take place at Anfield on February 6, where Liverpool will look to overturn the deficit and keep their Carabao Cup hopes alive.