Liverpool: Van Dijk makes shock gesture to referee in Arsenal draw

The Dutch centre-back didn’t hide his frustration after committing a foul on Gabriel Jesus.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was caught on camera appearing to ask referee Chris Kavanagh if he had been drinking.

Liverpool fell behind in the fourth minute when Gabriel Magalhaes scored a towering header to put Arsenal ahead in the fourth minute. The Reds got back into the game through Mohamed Salah‘s equalizer just before the half-hour mark.

However, the Reds’ pressure after the break wasn’t enough to complete their comeback. Liverpool grew more and more frustrated as Arsenal kept them at bay with quick counter-attacks.

Gabriel Jesus was stopped by Van Dijk on the halfway line as he tried to find space behind Liverpool’s backline. The referee awarded the visitors a foul, which angered the Dutch centre-back. Van Dijk appeared to sarcastically ask Kavanagh if he had drunk something.

Footage from the incident caught football fans by surprise as Van Dijk escaped without being punished. Last week, Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot was sent off for his angry reaction to referee Michael Oliver in his side’s goalless draw with Liverpool.

Last month, PGMOL chief Howard Webb called on Premier League officials to crack down on dissent and time-wasting. Waving imaginary yellow cards was the specific action that was pointed out, but even that is mild compared to Van Dijk’s unconventional approach to questioning the referee’s decisions.