During Liverpool’s draw with Arsenal on Saturday, Virgil van Dijk seemed to inquire of referee Chris Kavanagh whether he had consumed alcohol.
In a pivotal top-of-the-table encounter, goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Mohamed Salah resulted in a shared outcome, placing the Gunners in the lead for the Premier League title race at Christmas.
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Nevertheless, the match included contentious incidents, such as Liverpool’s denied penalty appeal when Martin Odegaard handled the ball in the box.
However, a particular incident in the second half, featuring Reds captain Van Dijk, drew the fans’ attention.
The Dutch defender was deemed to have committed a foul, leading Kavanagh to grant a free-kick to the away side.
Van Dijk was incensed by the decision, with the cameras catching the 32-year-old defender seemingly asking the official: ‘Have you been drinking?’, complete with a gesture to emphasise his point.
In a surprising turn of events, the center-back avoided a booking for dissent, deviating from the season’s usual pattern as the sports industry strives to clamp down on the mistreatment of match officials.
Virgil van Dijk to the referee during the match against Arsenal????:
“Have you been drinking?”
— Players Sayings (@PlayersSayings) December 23, 2023
Liverpool players have received four yellow cards for dissent this season, while Fulham leads in this category with a total of 11.
Van Dijk wasn’t the only one annoyed with Kavanagh’s calls, with Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp mystified with the penalty that never was, telling Sky Sports: ‘I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball but I don’t know how?
‘I don’t say that the ref can see it because I don’t know where he was in that moment. But how can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, it could be worth the referee having another look?’
The draw at Anfield positions Liverpool in second place on the table, tied in points with Aston Villa and only one point behind Arsenal.
Their opportunity to claim the top spot comes as they face Burnley on Boxing Day, while Villa visits Manchester United and Arsenal hosts West Ham.
