Van Dijk may see extra suspension for red card reaction
Liverpool center-back Virgil Van Dijk may face an extended suspension for his antics at the weekend. Referee John Brooks sent the club’s captain off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity in a matchup with Newcastle on Sunday. After a VAR review confirmed the call, Van Dijk then protested the decision with Brooks for more than two minutes.
The incident in question took place in the early stages of the game between the two Premier League teams. After a clever pass from Anthony Gordon set Alexander Isak free on goal, Van Dijk took out the striker near the edge of the box. Replays showed that the Dutch center-back did make contact with the ball; however, he seemed to go through Isak first.
Reds eventually fought back to beat Newcastle 2-1
Despite the disadvantage, Liverpool came back to win the match 2-1 in dramatic style. Second-half substitute Darwin Nunez scored two late goals to lift the Reds over the Magpies. The Uruguayan’s second strike came deep into added time.
Nevertheless, Van Dijk is missing action for Liverpool. Receiving a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity is currently a one-game suspension in the Premier League. However, the player’s angry antics may call for an extra match on the sidelines.
FA, EPL may use Van Dijk red card as example to stop abuse
The Football Association (FA) is reviewing the incident, as well as Brooks’s postgame report. Van Dijk will miss Liverpool’s next game against Aston Villa for the red card. The defender would then face a ban for a fixture with Wolves assuming the FA believes an extra suspension is necessary.
Referee boss Howard Webb is attempting to clamp down on abuse towards match officials in England. In fact, Premier League referees have been urged to have a short leash regarding player or coach conduct. Yellow cards are being handed out more freely for verbally abusing referees in the early stages of the current season.
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