The Liverpool skipper was his usual commanding presence at the heart of defence at Tottenham, and his post-match message was the perfect response to any concerns about a slight dip in form

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk hopes his team-mates will not be distracted by social media hype around their quest for trophies and will remind the dressing room to block out external noise

A cheeky request from Tottenham mascots left fans and commentators laughing as Virgil van Dijk reflected on Liverpool’s narrow defeat to Spurs.

Virgil van Dijk told the referee in Liverpool versus Tottenham that he “made a mistake” as Spurs’ goalscorer Lucas Bergvall should have been sent off in a “quite obvious” decision.

Liverpool were beaten by Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday night to leave them with work to do if they are to reach the final.

Once the match began, there was very little for Van Dijk or Liverpool to smile about. Despite the Tottenham mascots having little faith in their defence, it held strong, as Spurs won the first leg 1-0.

Tottenham Hotspur battled Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal at home, but it was Spurs' mascots that stole the show.

Reds aggrieved Lucas Bergvall was on the pitch to score late winner after avoiding second yellow card just moments before

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes it was "pretty clear" Lucas Bergvall should have been sent off moments before scoring the winner for Tottenham against the Reds on Wednesday night. Bergvall struck an 86th-minute winner to earn Spurs a 1-0 victory over Liverpool and a slender advantage after a cagey Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

A child couldn't help himself in the tunnel before Tottenham's Carabao Cup semifinal match against Liverpool, as he hilariously begged Virgil van Dijk to sign for his club amidst an injury crisis.