"For me it's a red card and that changes the face of last 20 minutes" - Lampard reacts to Liverpool star Van Dijk's tackle on Amadou Onana during Merseyside derby

Everton manager Frank Lampard believes Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk should have been shown a red card for his challenge on Amadou Onana during the Merseyside derby.

Everton hosted Liverpool at Goodison Park in the first Merseyside derby of the 2022-23 season today (September 3). While the match was not short of talking points, it eventually ended in a 0-0 draw.

The Reds had eight shots on target on the afternoon, but Jordan Pickford stood tall on each of those occasions. They were also frustratingly denied by the woodwork on three occasions.

Alisson also had a busy afternoon in Liverpool's goal as he made three saves for his side. The woodwork also came to the Brazil international's aid once in the first-half of the match.

While the numbers appear to be in the visitors' favor, Lampard feels they were fortunate to finish the game with 11 players. He is of the view that Van Dijk should have been sent-off for a foul on Onana in the second-half.

The Netherlands international was booked for a high-footed challenge on Onana around the 75-minute mark. Reacting to the incident, the Everton manager admitted he was surprised the referee was not asked to re-check the foul on the pitch-side screen. He was quoted as saying by The Guardian reporter Andy Hunter:

"I love van Dijk but if you look at when he connects with Amadou's shin, and Amadou has his foot on the ground, I'm surprised VAR didn't ask the referee to look at it. For me it's a red card and that changes the face of the last 20 mins."

A section of rival fans shared Lampard's opinion as they took to social media to express their thoughts on the incident.

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How has Liverpool and Everton fared this season?

Liverpool have had a poor start to the 2022-23 season by their standards. They have won just two of their six Premier League matches so far and have nine points to their name.

Despite struggling to string together wins, the Reds currently find themselves sitting fifth in the table. However, they could drop to the bottom half of the table by the end of the gameweek.

Everton, on the other hand, are yet to win a match this season, having drawn four of their games so far. They have four points to their name and currently sit 16th in the table.

Although unlikely, the Toffees could find themselves sitting at the top of the table by the end of the gameweek.