Virgil van Dijk says referee Tony Harrington appeared "nervous" as he dealt with a chaotic Premier League clash between Liverpool and Fulham.
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- Robertson sent off in feisty Liverpool match
- Reds fought back to draw 2-2 with Fulham
- Van Dijk critical of referee after the game
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Within the first 20 minutes of Saturday's clash at Anfield, the official had given out three yellow cards and a red as Andy Robertson was sent off early on. A further four players were booked later on, while Reds manager Arne Slot was cautioned, resulting in a touchline ban.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Liverpool twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw, with substitute Diogo Jota netting the crucial goal on his return from injury. Van Dijk says his team pulled off a "great comeback", but called out the referee for his role in the game.
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WHAT VAN DIJK SAID
"I had conversations with the players of Fulham and we felt like the referee was nervous," the centre-back told . "He couldn't properly communicate with Robertson I felt. We can't put the blame on the referee. We all speak about protecting the referee but I couldn't speak to him. It shouldn't be a big thing because he isn't why we dropped points."
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WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
The Merseyside outfit are now on a 19-game unbeaten streak and will hope to keep it going when they meet Southampton in the Carabao Cup in midweek, followed by a visit to Tottenham in the league.
