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Liverpool succumbed to a last-gasp Bournemouth winner but Van Dijk felt it should have been ruled out
Will Castle Saturday 24 January 2026 20:32 GMT- Bookmark
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open image in galleryVirgil van Dijk protesting to the referee after Bournemouth’s winner went in (Action Images via Reuters)
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Virgil van Dijk voiced his frustration at not being awarded a foul in the midst of the goal-mouth scramble that led to Bournemouth’s 95th-minute winner over Liverpool.
The Reds captain felt he was blocked off before Amine Adli scrambled the ball beyond Alisson and into the net, snatching all three points for the Cherries as Liverpool’s two-goal recovery went in vain.
"What I felt on that pitch is that I was blocked but the referee and VAR didn't give it,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.
“I can stand here and say it shouldn't have been given bit it was, so it is what it is."
open image in galleryVirgil van Dijk felt he was blocked off for Bournemouth's winner (Adam Davy/PA Wire)Pundit and former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp responded to this by highlighting that Van Dijk was actually thwarted by his team-mate.
"He was blocked off, he was fouled but it was by his own player: Curtis Jones,” Redknapp said.
"Virgil is in a decent position but as it comes in, and it's an incredible throw, he goes to attack it.
"As he goes to win it, Jones, he trips over him. Then it all becomes about Adli. He's brilliant. He is the only one alive to the situation."
Reds manager Arne Slot was also involved in a heated interaction with the officials at full-time, though the Dutchman later clarified that this was in regard to the amount of second-half stoppage time that was given, with only four minutes added on.
open image in gallery(Getty Images)"For me, four minutes of added time was not enough but in the end that didn't matter because they scored,” Slot said. “Although then we could've maybe had two or three minutes but this game shouldn't have had four minutes of extra time.
“There was already a free-kick that took two or three minutes, there was VAR moments, there was substitutions. That's what I said to them, that four minutes wasn't enough.
"We were down to 10 men and then they scored their second and that was the only few minutes bar from the last 10 minutes that we had some problems. But the result was another loss."
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Virgil van DijkJamie RedknappBournemouthArne SlotCurtis JonesLiverpoolJoin our commenting forum
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