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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will not face punishment from the Football Association (FA) following his involvement in a controversial incident with Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon on Wednesday.
The clash occurred in the first half of the 3-3 draw at St James’ Park, with Newcastle leading 1-0 at the time. Unseen footage from the match appears to show van Dijk barging into Gordon with his shoulder, even though the ball was not in play.
Amazon Prime commentator Clive Tyldesley mentioned that the incident had been reviewed by VAR for a potential red card, but officials at Stockley Park decided that no violent conduct had occurred. While replays suggested that van Dijk was fortunate to avoid a sending off, both referee Andy Madley and VAR opted not to take further action during the match.
Newcastle fans are likely to be frustrated by the FA’s decision not to take retrospective action, especially considering the severity of the clash. However, the Premier League’s updated guidance on red card reviews, which was introduced at the start of the 2024-25 season, states that only incidents not seen by match officials or VAR can be referred for further disciplinary proceedings. Since VAR reviewed the incident during the game, the FA has confirmed that van Dijk will not face any further action.
Matchstraff i hockey dette. pic.twitter.com/aR1TeIZ6WE
— Daniel Vassbund (@Smoothedan) December 4, 2024
This is not the first time van Dijk has been involved in controversy at St James’ Park. In August 2023, he was sent off for a professional foul on Alexander Isak, receiving a one-match ban and a £100,000 fine for comments made towards officials.
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