Liverpool manager Arne Slot found himself in hot water after apparently complimenting referee Michael Oliver with a "great game" before receiving his marching orders against Everton before Virgil van Dijk intervened to tell his boss to 'keep away', claims a lip reading expert.
The latest Merseyside derby ended in controversy for Liverpool when an injury-time leveller turned the match on its head. James Tarkowski's last-gasp strike header saw Everton snatch a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, and subsequent red cards handed to Curtis Jones, boss Slot, and assistant Sipke Hulshoff capped off an infuriating match for the league leaders
Arne Slot was sent off after the full-time whistle sounded
All three dismissals – as well as Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure - flared post-match during a scuffle triggered by the Toffees midfielder's provoking celebration directed at the visitors' section.
Jones earned a second booking for his altercation with the Everton star, while the grounds behind Slot’s dismissal were initially unclear. Only after the Dutch coach firmly gripped Oliver's hand did it become somewhat apparent; however, lip reader Jeremy Freeman suggests it was Slot's preceding comment that might have stirred controversy.
As he stepped towards Oliver, Slot reportedly remarked: "Great game," which Oliver may have felt was a sarcastic jibe, leading him to dig into his pocket for a card. A taken aback Slot queried: "Sure, you give me a red for that? I will check it out for later... me and you, yeah?"
Liverpool's Van Dijk stepped in to clarify an issue with manager Slot's intense handshake, mentioning, "Hey, Michael... that was not a pull [of your arm]... Michael... it isn't personal," and wisely suggested his boss to "keep away".
The controversy started after referee Oliver did not award Liverpool a free-kick before Everton netted a dramatic equaliser. Additionally, the VAR team took over three minutes to confirm the Everton goal, examining a marginal offside and a potential infringement involving Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate.
There have been rumblings within Liverpool regarding the legitimacy of Everton's initial goal as well; a foul on Iliman Ndiaye preceding Beto's goal raised eyebrows, where some felt Konate was unfairly penalised. Nevertheless, Liverpool responded when Alexis Mac Allister netted a leveler, and Mo Salah later thought he secured victory with a goal at 73 minutes, only for James Tarkowski to dramatically alter the narrative with his powerful finish.
Following the match, Van Dijk expressed his frustration with Oliver's officiating, suggesting that his decisions had a significant impact on the outcome. "I think the referee had a big part in the game today in terms of certain challenges were given [as] a foul, and similar challenges [weren't]," he told TNT Sports.
"We saw how they celebrated the goal... they wanted to provoke our fans. Curtis didn't think that was the right thing to do... I think the ref didn't have the game under control in my opinion. I said it to him."
However, Everton also felt aggrieved, particularly after being denied a penalty when the ball struck Konate's arm in the box. Additionally, many believed that Liverpool defender Conor Bradley was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for his challenge on Doucoure in what proved to be one of the most contentious Merseyside derbies in recent memory.
The outcome sees Liverpool now seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, while Everton has leapfrogged West Ham to claim 15th spot, crucially extending the gap between themselves and the relegation zone to 10 points.
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