Virgil van Dijk mocks opponent as Liverpool captain and ex Celtic star left mortified by Aston Villa penalty shout

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Virgil van Dijk launched a cheeky jibe at Aston Villa defender Pau Torres for trying to win the visitors a penalty in their 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.Darwin Nunez had given Arne Slot's team a 1-0 lead in the first half and it wasn't until six minutes from time that Reds superstar Mohamed Salah wrapped up the points with a fine finish after breaking away.

And it was in the build-up to the Egyptian forward's goal that Torres' attempt to win a spot kick prompted a hilarious reaction from ex Celtic defender van Dijk.Spain international Torres went down in the box under a challenge from Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, but a VAR review and subsequent replays showed that it was actually the Villa man who initiated the contact.

And it was during Torres' protest that Netherlands and Anfield captain van Dijk stepped in to mock his opposite number.The TNT Sport cameras picked up footage where the towering centre back could be seen saying: "You're 6 foot 4 mate" in response to the player's antics in trying to get his team back in the game.

Van Dijk, 33, is into the final eight months of his contract on Merseyside but has confirmed talks are ongoing about a possible extension.Liverpool's form under new boss Arne Slot continues to go from strength to strength, with the Reds now opening up a five point lead at the top of the Premier League after Manchester City suffered a shock defeat to Brighton on Saturday.