'I spoke to him' - Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk reveals conversation with Xavi Simons and insists Spurs star did not try to hurt him in red-card tackle

Following a quiet opening to the game in north London, referee John Brooks and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) were soon called into action after Tottenham’s Simons brought down Van Dijk after half an hour.

As Simons attempted to steal the ball from Van Dijk, the 22-year-old raked his studs down the back of the Liverpool centre-back’s calf, leading to a sending off which proved costly for Thomas Frank’s Spurs side.

After Liverpool made their extra man advantage count thanks to second-half strikes from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, Tottenham pulled a goal back when substitute Richarlison slotted past Alisson with just seven minutes of normal time left to play.

However, with Spurs in the ascendancy, captain Cristian Romero was then sent off in stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate. The Argentina international received his first caution for dissent after angrily protesting the Reds' second goal, with the defender feeling Ekitike had pushed him in the back before heading home.

The hosts still pushed for an all-important equaliser with nine men but they were ultimately made to rue both red cards as they slipped to their fifth defeat in their last eight fixtures in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s Liverpool were able to extend their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions after earning a victory which saw them move level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, who boast a superior goal difference.

Speaking after helping his side collect what he described as a “massive” three points on the road, Van Dijk was asked what he thought about Simons’ challenge on him in the first half.

“I don't think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and then the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off," Van Dijk revealed following the full-time whistle. “I spoke to him. It's a chat that no-one needs to know.”

The red card comes at a bad time for Simons after he appeared to have turned a corner following a difficult start to life in England. A summer signing from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, the attacker scored his first Premier League goal in Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Brentford on 6 December.

But after receiving his marching orders for a tackle deemed to be “serious foul play”, Simons will now miss Spurs’ successive away trips against Crystal Palace and Brentford on Sunday, 28 December and Thursday, 1 January respectively, as well as their home clash against Sunderland on Sunday, 4 January.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will be hoping to continue their ascent up the league table as they prepare for back-to-back home games against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers and in-form Leeds United on Saturday, 27 December and Thursday, 1 January respectively.

Reflecting on a topsy-turvy end to the game against Tottenham, Van Dijk said: “The immediate reaction coming off was that it was a chaotic last five to 10 minutes. It wasn't great but to get the three points is massive. There was nothing wrong up to us conceding a goal. We need to analyse the last part but personally I'm very pleased and it's on to the next one.

“When you concede a goal and their fans get behind them like they did, it's never easy to make the right decisions and find the right solutions. That's something we can improve but I don't think it's worrying. It's a transition and we need to keep getting better.

“Winning more, getting results, is always positive. Losing games, especially at a club like Liverpool, is always bad. For us it's about staying calm. Taking each game as it comes.

“Today we won. Now we have a couple of days off. We will recover and then we will focus on Wolves. It will be a tough game. I saw their game against Spurs. Wolves will make it difficult for us and we have to be ready for that."