Credit: Imago / Sky Sports

Harri Burton

Mon 16 March 2026 17:00, UK

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Liverpool were fortunate not to go down to 10 men after Virgil van Dijk and Richarlison clashed during a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the Reds’ No.4 should have been sent off for a Denial of a Goalscoring Opportunity (DOGSO).

Arne Slot’s side had taken the lead through a sumptuous Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick, helped by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, but found themselves pegged back in the 90th minute.

Liverpool have eight games remaining in the Premier League, and with Slot already under growing pressure, a red card for Van Dijk would have done very little to settle the nerves on Sunday, 15 March.

Virgil van Dijk ‘gets away’ with DOGSO on Richarlison

In the 55th minute, Richarlison appeared set to escape and slot a shot past Alisson, only to be dragged to the floor and put off balance while taking his shot from inside the penalty area.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “I can remember doing a piece in The Telegraph about Virgil van Dijk and seven of his clear, nailed-on offences that went unpunished. 

“Nobody disagreed that they were offences, and he got away with all of them. He’s gotten away with one here. Is he holding the player? Yes. Has he impacted the player? Yes.

“Therefore, it’s a penalty. I think he’s denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity. Why has everyone ignored it? The video clips are clear. What is VAR doing?

“The referee hasn’t got the viewing angle that VAR have got. It’s very clearly a holding offence, one which has gone unpunished.” 

Premier League fans all say the same about Liverpool star

Premier League fans up and down the country have come to the consensus that Van Dijk is “finished” at the top level, struggling to deal with Richarlison at 34 years of age.

A couple of Liverpool fans have also agreed with the backlash, suggesting the same for Mohamed Salah, who only recently signed a two-year extension at Anfield.

Fans believe that Richarlison had the chance to end Van Dijk’s career had he hit the back of the net. Given the reaction to the incident, the defender should have been sent off either way.

Football Insider understands that Liverpool will keep Van Dijk until his contract expires in the summer of 2027, but things can change very quickly in the world of football.