Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will not face any retrospective action for an off-the-ball incident with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz during their 2-2 draw at the Emirates, as reported by *The Times*.
Van Dijk brushed off claims that he should have been sent off for allegedly kicking Havertz, calling it “part and parcel of the game.”
The incident took place in the sixth minute when Havertz went to ground after Van Dijk appeared to shove him with his right arm and then make contact twice with his left leg. Referee Anthony Taylor took no action, and Van Dijk later scored Liverpool’s equalizer from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner.
Arsenal had twice taken the lead through goals from Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino, while Mohamed Salah’s goal helped Liverpool to level the score, even with Jurrien Timber’s injury affecting Arsenal’s momentum. Van Dijk downplayed the incident, saying, “It is a physical game, and these things happen.”
Liverpool currently sits four points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League, trailing Manchester City by just one point. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta voiced his frustration, saying his team missed first-half opportunities.
“It should’ve been a bigger score in the first half,” Arteta noted. “They came out strong in the second half, and we lacked courage.” Arsenal is now five points behind City and needs to regain form to stay in the title race.
