Virgil van Dijk looks irritated during a Liverpool match
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk has refused to be drawn on an incident involving him and Emmanuel Emegha in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Chelsea on Wednesday night.
The Dutch striker came on for his senior Blues debut midway through the second half at Anfield, and within a few minutes he initiated a bizarre tussle with his compatriot.
After the Reds captain played the ball backwards to Trey Nyoni, the Chelsea substitute charged straight at our number 4 and shoved him to the ground, with the pass having been made at least a second earlier.
Van Dijk shrugs off Emegha incident
Speaking to reporters after the match, Van Dijk was asked about the curious incident with Emegha, and the Liverpool skipper swiftly shut down the question.
He replied (via Liverpool Echo): “Ask him. 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.”
Emmanuel Emegha reacts during Chelsea's match against Liverpool
Emmanuel Emegha reacts during Chelsea's match against Liverpool
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Why did Emegha feel the need to shove Van Dijk?
We’re at a loss for an explanation as to why Emegha ran at Van Dijk well after the ball had been played, and he came from enough of a distance to have stopped himself in his tracks and realised that he’d have been better off not getting involved.
What was the Chelsea striker’s motivation to run at his fellow countryman and shove him to the ground? Beats us…
The Liverpool captain seemed momentarily irritated over the bizarre altercation but mostly bemused, just like he was at Malo Gusto’s comical play-acting after making the slightest of contact with the French left-back earlier in the second half.
Van Dijk had the last laugh as it was his team who prevailed on penalties, and although the 35-year-old had been substituted before the shootout, he’d done his bit for the Reds with a solid performance and an important interception to thwart Danny Welbeck.
We eagerly await Emegha’s explanation as to why he went over and accosted the veteran defender for no apparent reason…