Everton vs Liverpool ref watch: Three decisions Chris Kavanagh got wrong, including Virgil van Dijk incident

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Football Insider or go back to LFC Live.

The Toffees met the Reds for the first time at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium home, but they slipped to a stoppage-time defeat against their old enemies.Mohamed Salah put the visitors ahead with a 29th-minute goal in his final Merseyside derby, before Beto bundled the ball home early in the second half to earn a point for the hosts.It was a typically fiery clash between the two city rivals, and referee Chris Kavanagh had plenty to do throughout the 90 minutes, which culminated in Virgil van Dijk heading home the winner 10 minutes into stoppage time.With that in mind, Football Insider picks out three errors from the man in the middle as Everton stemmed Liverpool’s recent dominance in the derby. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Jordan Pickford extremely unfortunate in Virgil van Dijk incidentKavanagh had clearly intended to keep his cards firmly in his pocket in the early stages of the game, but he felt obliged to brandish the first yellow of the afternoon to Jordan Pickford in the 23rd minute.

The England goalkeeper was booked for vehemently protesting the referee’s decision after a heavy challenge from Virgil van Dijk on Idrissa Gueye.EvertonStatsLiverpool44%Possession56%0.8xG1.454Shots on Target63Big Chances220Touches in Opposition Box171Corners6The final stats from Everton’s defeat to Liverpool.The Liverpool captain was late into his tackle on the veteran midfielder, and he dumped him on the floor as the Senegal international spun away from his clutches. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to argue that Van Dijk should have gone into the referee’s book and succeeded only in earning himself a caution.

An angry Jordan Pickford booked for dissent.— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) April 19, 2026 View Tweet However, he could certainly count himself extremely unlucky with the incident, as it could be argued that he would never have reacted in that manner had Van Dijk received the yellow that his tackle warranted.Everton fume over Ryan Gravenberch foulsKavanagh’s attempts to avoid throwing out cautions in the early stages were quickly called into question, as Everton’s players were left fuming after a tackle from Ryan Gravenberch in the 10th minute. Gueye was still inside his own half when Gravenberch brought him down, but a profitable situation could easily have developed for the Toffees had he been able to move the ball on.