Liverpool’s captain barely tried to hide the sarcasm after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat. Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports he had already watched the replay of Jurrien Timber’s shirt pull on Isak, and had seen the same contact given as a penalty elsewhere.
“We have 50 cameras. Why does he have to complain when there are so many cameras? Everyone has seen it,” Van Dijk said after the match.
Timber tugged Isak’s shirt in the first half as the Liverpool striker tried to attack a cross into the box. Referee Andy Madley waved it away, and VAR did not intervene.
Van Dijk’s verdict landed with a flat edge.
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“At the end of the day, it wasn’t given so congratulations to Arsenal,” he added.
Iraola backs his captain
Andoni Iraola called the Isak incident a clear penalty of his own, and said he would now have to instruct his players to go down.
“Yes, we have to tell them to go down because they are not going to call it otherwise,” the Liverpool manager told reporters.
Iraola is in his first season at Anfield, having replaced Arne Slot in June. Van Dijk compounded a bitter afternoon with a yellow card deep into stoppage time at 90+7, as Liverpool chased an equalizer that never came.
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The visitors had their own VAR flashpoint. Noni Madueke went to ground after a touch of foreheads with Alexis Mac Allister, and a review let the Arsenal winger stay on; Mac Allister was shown yellow instead.
Havertz tap-in settles it in the 16th
Kai Havertz struck in the 16th minute, finishing a low Declan Rice cross at the back post. Florian Wirtz came closest to replying for Liverpool, whipping a free kick onto the crossbar from the left.
It was Arsenal’s first Premier League win at Anfield since 2012, and it took them three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table. Mikel Arteta would not be drawn on the Isak decision after full time, saying he had not seen it back.
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