Roy Keane and Gary Neville have left no stone unturned from Virgil van Dijk. The captain of the Dutch national team did not look good several times in the duel with Arsenal. Reason for the analyst to tackle the Liverpool defender hard, while a change of the guard seems imminent.
Van Dijk must fear being replaced
“Dramatic defense,” concluded the Sky Sports analyst about Van Dijk’s work on Gabriel Jesus’ second goal. The striker was able to head in outlawed, after the Orange captain had lost the Brazilian. He added, “Liverpool were not there defensively. The intensity was not there. Jesus stood in the middle of the six-foot area. And Van Dijk was just staring at him.”
Keane couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the freedom the striker enjoyed. “This is way too simple. I’m sure Jesus couldn’t believe it himself either. They defend at Liverpool like a beer team. They run everywhere. The organization is a big mess,” was his opinion.
“He plays like a schoolboy,” Gary Neville added. The Manchester United icon was shocked by Van Dijk’s apathetic attitude. “He looks desperate and childish. He probably sees the danger, but just follows the ball and does nothing at all.”
Because Van Dijk recovered, he barely got enough for his game in the Liverpool Echo. Yet the newspaper also saw that the defender is struggling to profile himself in the Premier League this season. “He’s too slow, too slow to react and was nonchalant in the first half hour. That is in contrast to his partner Ibrahima Konaté. For a long time, it was his potential successor as defense chief. The changing of the guard seems to be taking place now,” they wrote.
English media praises Ramsdale to bits
“Woah, what a series of sensational saves,” Gary Lineker praised Ramsdale via Twitter. The Match of the Day anchorman was impressed for a reason. In a fabulous way, Ramsdale kept Ibrahima Konaté and Mohamed Salah from scoring in the very end. Ramsdale was fired upon nineteen times from his own sixteen-meter area, but the Englishman kept the leader upright.
“Heroic, these absurd saves could ultimately give Arsenal the league title,” Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville also raved. “What happened to Arsenal today, in England’s toughest stadium, is madness. But that they still have a point from this visit is a miracle. Thanks to Ramsdale. They should cherish this result.”
Ramsdale himself reacted calmly in front of the Sky Sports cameras. “In a few weeks, this could turn out to be a good result. We were under a lot of pressure, but we take a point from Liverpool. You can think: we miss two points, but it could also have been three. I think we were very strong,” he said.
“Now we have to go home and continue building,” said the protagonist. “Three points is the gap with closest attacker Manchester City. A point is better than no point. For me there was no better time to play such a game. At Anfield, under great pressure. Fortunately, my saves have resulted in a point.”
Still, Ramsdale got some extra compliments. Roy Keane was also lyrical: “Brilliant. I don’t like goalkeepers, they get too much attention, I think. But these saves… Arsenal can thank Ramsdale for this point. They’re still in control in the title race, thanks to him.”
