Virgil van Dijk takes aim at 'nervous' referee after Andy Robertson is sent off and Liverpool drop points in feisty Fulham clash

Within the first 20 minutes of Saturday's clash at Anfield, the official had given out three yellow cards and a red as Andy Robertson was sent off early on. A further four players were booked later on, while Reds manager Arne Slot was cautioned, resulting in a touchline ban.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Liverpool twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw, with substitute Diogo Jota netting the crucial goal on his return from injury. Van Dijk says his team pulled off a "great comeback", but called out the referee for his role in the game.

"I had conversations with the players of Fulham and we felt like the referee was nervous," the centre-back told Sky Sports. "He couldn't properly communicate with Robertson I felt. We can't put the blame on the referee. We all speak about protecting the referee but I couldn't speak to him. It shouldn't be a big thing because he isn't why we dropped points."

The Merseyside outfit are now on a 19-game unbeaten streak and will hope to keep it going when they meet Southampton in the Carabao Cup in midweek, followed by a visit to Tottenham in the league.