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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk hilariously asked referee Chris Kavanagh whether he'd been drinking after a decision went against the Dutchman in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Saturday night (December 23).
The Gunners took an early lead through Brazilian defender Gabriel in the fourth minute, with Mohamed Salah equalizing for the Reds in the 29th minute.
In what was an intense Premier League fixture at Anfield, Liverpool committed 13 fouls compared to Arsenal's 14. During the second half, van Dijk was adjudged to have fouled Gabriel Jesus on the halfway line.
Unhappy with the decision, the centre-back asked the referee while mimicking holding a glass close to his mouth (via Mirror):
"Have you been drinking?"
With the clip going viral, one fan called for the defender to be booked and wrote:
"Where is his yellow for this?"
Another agreed with van Dijk's remarks and added:
"He needs to ask cause I would’ve done the same."
Here are some more fan reactions to this incident on X:
Although the on-field official did not reprimand van Dijk for his actions, the Dutchman could still be in hot water if the FA is convinced that the defender can be charged for insulting behavior towards a match official.
Jurgen Klopp reacts to 1-1 Arsenal draw
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp lavished praise on Arsenal's performance while also lauding his team. In a fiercely contested match, the Reds edged possession stats (51%).
The hosts managed the same number of attempts as the Gunners (13) while placing three of those shots on target compared to Arsenal's two.
After the match, Klopp said (via Mirror):
"Oh my god, how strong are they? The good news is we are good as well. In a game like this, going down early to a set piece is tough, especially with the speed of Arsenal. But the game we played, how we started second half we should have scored."
Liverpool manufactured the game's best chance in the 76th minute from a counter when Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the bar from close range.
Following the drawn result, Arsenal are atop the standings with 40 points, one ahead of second-placed Liverpool.
