Liverpool’s standout Virgil van Dijk received a direct red card against Newcastle due to a foul on Alexander Isak.
The Dutch defender impeded the Swedish international just outside the Newcastle penalty area as Isak was advancing towards goal.
Both Van Dijk and manager Jurgen Klopp were taken aback by referee John Brooks’ initial decision, which was subsequently reviewed and confirmed by VAR.
Van Dijk did indeed make contact with the ball while tackling Isak, but the referee deemed that he also came from the rear, resulting in the foul.
Even after the VAR check, Van Dijk persisted with his protests. He engaged in animated discussions with the referee, Klopp, and the rest of the Liverpool coaching staff as he made his way to the bench
A STRAIGHT RED CARD FOR VIRGIL VAN DIJK! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/29EDsiMPC3
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 27, 2023
Liverpool had earlier gone 1-0 down following a mistake from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who could not control Mohamed Salah’s backpass.
Anthony Gordon ran on to the loose ball, before slotting an effort low beyond Alisson to give Newcastle the lead.
But Van Dijk’s red card only left the Reds in more peril as they look to avoid a first Premier League defeat of the season.
There was early controversy in the match after Alexander-Arnold avoided a second yellow card for a pullback on Gordon.
The Liverpool right-back was initially booked by the referee for dissent after being pushed off the pitch by Gordon, before grabbing hold of his shirt once play resumed.
But while the England international avoided an early end to the match, Van Dijk was not so fortunate.
Klopp acted quickly to replace forward Luis Diaz with Joe Gomez in an attempt to fill the void left by the Dutchman, but the Reds face an uphill task to get back into the game with 10 players.
Remarkably, it is the first time Van Dijk has ever been shown a red card in his Liverpool career, having made over 200 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Was the referee right to send Van Dijk off? Let us know in the comments.