Virgil van Dijk from Liverpool commented on the draw against Everton, suggesting that Doucoure aimed to incite our supporters.

In the aftermath of a thrilling Merseyside derby that ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has labelled the clash as Everton’s “cup final.” The Dutch defender did not hold back in his criticism of opposition midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, who he accused of “provoking” the Liverpool fans following a late equaliser.

The match reached a fever pitch when James Tarkowski unleashed a stunning strike in the 98th minute, snatching a point for Everton in what was the final derby at Goodison Park. However, the tension escalated post-match as Doucoure celebrated in front of the away supporters, igniting a melee that saw him, Curtis Jones, Liverpool manager Arne Slot, and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff all shown red cards by referee Michael Oliver.

Reflecting on the match, Van Dijk stated, “We all know this is their cup final and they will do everything in their power to try and win against us.” He acknowledged the significance of Everton’s late goal, saying, “This year, you see them scoring at the end and it’s obviously a big boost for them but it’s a blow for us.”

The Liverpool captain continued, “We all saw how they celebrated a goal; they have every right to do so. However, I think Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans, and Curtis didn’t think that was the right thing to do. Obviously, you know what happens when there is a little tussle, but I didn’t think the ref had the game under control, and I made that clear to him.”

Van Dijk expressed his disappointment at not securing all three points, which would have extended Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to nine points. “It was always going to be intense, a lot of battles,” he remarked. “It’s very disappointing to lose it in the last second of the game, or even over, in extra time. It is what it is; it’s not easy to accept how we dropped points, but we take it and we move on.”

When asked if the draw felt like a loss, Van Dijk replied, “A little bit, because it was over extra time. I think the referee had a big part in the game today, with certain challenges being given as fouls while similar ones were not.” He concluded, “But in the end, it was just disappointing to concede in the last minute—a very good strike, but a disappointing one.”

As the dust settles on this fiery encounter, both teams will reflect on the lessons learned, with Liverpool keen to bounce back in their pursuit of the title.