Liverpool’s victory over Newcastle United was marred by a controversial decision that led to Virgil van Dijk’s red card. The incident, which took place during the first half of the match, has sparked debates among fans and experts alike.
In an effort to shed light on the decision-making process, audio recordings of the match officials discussing the incident were made public on the new Sky Sports’ “Match Officials: Mic’d Up” show.
The controversy arose when Van Dijk fouled Alexander Isak on the edge of the penalty area. Referee John Brooks deemed the foul to be a denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) and showed Van Dijk a red card.
Attwell initially raised the possibility of offside and DOGSO, to which Brooks responded by confirming that the incident occurred outside the penalty area and warranted a red card. The dialogue continued as Attwell requested additional angles to confirm the point of contact and assess the severity of the foul.
At a glance
- Liverpool’s victory over Newcastle United was overshadowed by a controversial decision that resulted in Virgil van Dijk receiving a red card.
- Audio recordings of the match officials discussing the incident were made public, shedding light on the decision-making process.
- Referee John Brooks deemed Van Dijk’s foul on Aleksander Isak to be a denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO), leading to the red card.
- Former referee Howard Webb supported the decision, explaining that Van Dijk’s challenge denied Isak a clear chance to score, warranting the red card.
- The incident highlights the subjective nature of refereeing decisions and the challenges faced by match officials in making split-second judgments.
It was ultimately determined that Van Dijk’s challenge denied Isak an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The decision was upheld by VAR, leading to the center-back’s dismissal from the game. Brooks then added to Van Dijk: “Free-kick. Go, go! Go now. Yes, no offside.”
Former referee Howard Webb, who provided analysis on the incident, supported Brooks’ decision to issue a red card. Webb said: “We think it is a good communication of a foul by John Brooks and we see in the end Van Dijk does play the ball but, to get there, he clearly kicks through the foot of Isak and it denies a goalscoring opportunity.”
