Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk questions Pascal Gross’ red card situation in the 2-2 draw against Brighton
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has expressed his surprise and frustration following an incident in their recent draw against Brighton, where Pascal Gross avoided a red card despite conceding a penalty. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, but it remained marred by a controversial officiating decision.
Midfielder Pascal Gross did not see a yellow or red card after clumsily fouling Dominik Szoboszlai inside the penalty box. Mohamed Salah subsequently converted the penalty, giving Liverpool the lead. However, Gross’s challenge went unpunished, raising eyebrows among the Liverpool players and fans.
The surprising part of this incident was that VAR officials did not view Szoboszlai’s opportunity as a ‘clear goalscoring opportunity,’ which is often a determining factor in awarding cards for fouls in the box.
Virgil shared his thoughts on the incident after the match. He revealed his curiosity regarding why Gross was not subject to a booking for the foul. Here is what Virgil told the Daily Mail about the incident:
“I was curious for the reason why he didn’t get a booking. We win the penalty, we score the penalty and the ref didn’t give a yellow or a red. We have to accept it.”
Another VAR blunder
The incident involved Gross grabbing Szoboszlai’s shirt after a defensive mix-up, which was due to a poor pass from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. However, referee Anthony Taylor did not issue a card for Gross’s actions. Additionally, VAR official Chris Kavanagh chose not to advise the on-field referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Liverpool’s disappointment with the officiating decision stood compounded by the fact that the match ended in a draw, with Brighton’s Lewis Dunk equalizing late in the game. The Reds felt that the outcome could have been different if Gross saw himself carded for his foul on Szoboszlai.
That makes it two successive Premier League games that the Reds feel hard done by VAR. The Tottenham game ruled out a goal, and this error potentially cost Liverpool five points. Anyways, as Virgil said, we have to accept it.
More Liverpool News
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- Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards criticize three Liverpool key players following Brighton draw
- Virgil van Dijk speaks out as Liverpool drop points at Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool have found themselves on the wrong end of contentious calls in recent matches, raising questions about the consistency and interpretation of the rules in the Premier League The rules need restructuring, and soon.
