Liverpool on The Spot Again as Van Dijk Escapes Red Card Despite Grabbing Opponent by The Neck

• Virgil Van Dijk had another solid performance against Sheffield United
• However, the Liverpool defender courted controversy in the 71st minute
• He appeared to wrestle a Blades player to the ground by holding his neck

Liverpool captain, Virgil Van Dijk, ignited a heated debate online after a controversial moment during the Premier League game against Sheffield United on Thursday, April 4.

The Reds ran out comfortable 3-1 winners, but the game could have arguably had a different look had Van Dijk been sent off for an incident involving Sheffield’s Auston Trusty.

The Blades, who are bottom of the table, were on course for a draw at Anfield after Conor Bradley’s 58th-minute own goal cancelled out Darwin Nunez’s opener for his side in the first half.

With the scores deadlocked at 1-1, Van Dijk courted controversy with 19 minutes of regular time to go as he was caught on camera manhandling Trusty in the midst of a set piece.

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A clip of the incident shows the much bigger Dutch player seemingly placing his hands around the American's neck, before shoving the Sheffield man to the ground.

It all happened as Liverpool were preparing to take a corner, and play was briefly stopped, but the Liverpool captain faced no further punishment from match official, Stuart Attwell.

What the law says about neck-grabbing

According to the IFAB laws, violent conduct is a red-card offence, unless the referee deems there was ‘minimal contact’.

The FA.com defines violent conduct as a situation 'when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball'.

Players sent off for neck grabbing

What seemed to irk fans online is the fact that there have been previous incidents where players have been sent off for incidents similar to Van Dijk’s.

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In 2023, Manchester City’s Rodri was sent off for grabbing the neck of Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.

Similarly, Manchester United's Casemiro was also punished with a red card in the 2022/23 season for appearing to grab Crystal Palace player, Will Hughes, by the neck.

Liverpool game paused for Ramadan

Sports Brief also reported on a delightful moment when the Liverpool versus Sheffield game was paused briefly so players could break their fast.

In the 25th minute, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate, along with the Blades' Anel Ahmedhodzic, took a moment to eat something.

Gestures like these in matches are somewhat rare. The Islamic holy month commenced on the evening of March 10, and will continue until April 9.