Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was caught up in a bizarre confrontation with Emmanuel Emegha during the clash against Chelsea, which went unpunished by the referee
Former referee chief Keith Hackett has admitted he was surprised that Chelsea striker Emmanuel Emegha wasn't punished for a bizarre coming together with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in a Carabao Cup meeting between the two sides.
The match at Anfield was for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition, as both Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso looked to earn some early silverware to truly kickstart their tenures with their new clubs. It was the former midfielder's side who took the lead, as Ryan Gravenberch felled Moises Caicedo in the box, leading to a penalty that was coolly converted by Morgan Rogers.
Just moments later, another spot-kick was awarded, as Wesley Fofana's outstretched arm appeared to handle the ball from a set-piece. Cody Gakpo was equally unshaken by the prospect of scoring from the spot, leveling the match up at 1-1.
From there, the game started to simmer into a slightly physical encounter, with a few challenges flying in that seemed to underscore the competitive nature of the two teams.
However, there was one bizarre moment late in the match that threatened to cause things to boil over. Chelsea striker Emegha, who made an appearance from the bench, ran at Liverpool captain Van Dijk, and bundled his fellow Dutchman over despite the ball being far away from the defender at that point.
Fortunately for the Blues, the incident was not pulled up by the officials, while the Reds skipper didn't seem to make too much of a fuss out of a situation that could have quickly turned nasty.
For Hackett, however, it's a decision that should've resulted in a punishment against Emegha. He told Football Insider: "Virgil van Dijk had every right to be annoyed with the referee and his opponent. The referee took no action for what was a very aggressive run and push that met the criteria for being reckless.
"Van Dijk ended up on the floor, so this player is very fortunate not to receive a yellow card. Come on, referee, you had a reasonable game, but you could have done better here. This could have easily caused a mass confrontation. I am surprised and disappointed that a yellow card was not issued to the Chelsea player."
It was an odd moment for Van Dijk, one that he has since spoken out on with a degree of confusion about exactly what prompted the shove from Emegha.
Speaking after the game, the defender told reporters: "Ask him [Emegha]. I don't know. Maybe he's trying to get into the national team as well and trying this way. I don't know. You have to ask him. When he comes by, just ask him."
There was seemingly little clarity as to why the event occurred, but fortunately for Liverpool, it didn't end with the club captain landing awkwardly or lashing out, as he calmly went about his business for the remainder of the match.
With the Reds now through to the next round, it's Van Dijk who got the last laugh, as he looks at another chance to lift silverware with the club.
