Overview
- Referee John Brooks upgraded an initial yellow to a straight red after a pitch‑side VAR review, citing serious foul play for Simons’ high contact on Van Dijk’s calf.
- Simons apologised publicly and said he would never intentionally injure his Netherlands captain, while Van Dijk said he was hurt but saw no malice.
- Reaction remains divided, with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer calling the dismissal harsh or accidental and Keith Hackett and Jamie Carragher judging a red card understandable.
- Tottenham face short‑term absences as reports state Simons will serve a three‑match ban and captain Cristian Romero is suspended after a separate late dismissal.
- Attention also turned to Micky van de Ven’s challenge that forced Alexander Isak off injured, with calls for retrospective action countered by former referee Dermot Gallagher’s view that it was not a red‑card offence.