Virgil van Dijk shares what he told Anthony Gordon following his red card.

Virgil van Dijk has shared what he told Anthony Gordon following the England winger’s foul that saw Newcastle reduced to ten men during their clash with Liverpool.

As expected, Monday night’s Premier League showdown at St James’ Park was full of drama.

Before the game, much of the focus was on Alexander Isak, amid continued speculation linking the Swedish striker with a move to Liverpool. However, Isak was once again missing from Eddie Howe’s matchday squad in what turned out to be a fiercely contested match.

Ryan Gravenberch gave Liverpool the lead against the run of play after 35 minutes, and Newcastle’s night worsened just before halftime when Gordon was sent off. The winger initially received a yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Van Dijk, but after a VAR review, referee Simon Hooper upgraded it to a red card—ruling Gordon out for the next three league matches.

Just after the break, Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s advantage, seemingly putting the game beyond reach. But Bruno Guimaraes gave Newcastle hope with a goal ten minutes later. Then, with only minutes remaining, substitute Will Osula brought the home side level.

However, Liverpool had the final word as 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha scored deep into stoppage time, sealing a second league win of the season for Arne Slot’s side.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Van Dijk reflected on both the team’s performance and the red card incident.

“We know it’s always tough coming here,” Van Dijk said. “With everything going on this week, it was clear Newcastle would be fired up. We expected that. The frustrating part is conceding two goals from set pieces—something we need to fix. But in the end, it’s a great three points, and we move on.”

He added: “Their pressure from free-kicks and corners is intense, and they’ve got quality. Last season, very few of the traditional top-six sides won here. The atmosphere is incredible, and I enjoy these types of games. Still, we made it harder than it needed to be by giving them those chances. Thankfully, we saw it through.”

When asked what he said to Gordon following the sending off, Van Dijk responded:
“I told him, ‘If that’s not a red card, I don’t understand football.’ Honestly, I was surprised the referee even needed to check the monitor. Whether he meant the challenge or not, it happened. That’s football—we move on.”