Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Liverpool’s captain has questioned how a clear penalty went unpunished at Anfield on Sunday, after the Reds slipped to a defeat by a single goal against Arsenal that leaves them nine points behind the champions.
The incident came in the first half, with Kai Havertz’s 16th minute strike already separating the sides, when Jurrien Timber tugged at Alexander Isak’s shirt as the striker attempted to meet a header inside the area, but neither referee Andy Madley nor the video assistant referee stepped in.
The decision drew criticism on Sky Sports, where Jamie Carragher urged VAR to do its job, and it felt even more costly given how little else Liverpool produced in front of goal.
Liverpool had 17 attempts without landing a single shot on target, the first time on record that has happened to them in a home game, meaning David Raya was not forced into one save all afternoon.
Virgil van Dijk made his frustration plain afterwards, insisting it was a clear penalty on Isak but that today it wasn’t meant to be.
The Dutchman was even more pointed about the technology, saying, “VAR doesn’t notice it?”
“There are 50 cameras.”
“Why does he have to complain when there’s so many cameras.”
“Everyone has seen it.”
“At the end of the day, it wasn’t given so congratulations to Arsenal.”
Florian Wirtz came closest to an equaliser when his free kick crashed against the crossbar, while Alexis Mac Allister headed over unmarked, and Gary Neville described Arsenal’s display as a defensive masterclass, with Mikel Arteta’s side now on six clean sheets from nine league games.
Van Dijk admitted the overall performance fell short, adding, “Disappointment.”
“We are at home.”
“It wasn’t enough today.”
“I’m disappointed.”
The defeat continues a worrying pattern at Anfield, where Liverpool have scored only four league goals in five home games this season, and it ended both a five match winning run in all competitions and Isak’s sequence of six goals in six league outings.
For Arsenal, it was a first league win at Anfield since September 2012, ending a run of 13 visits without victory, and Havertz’s goal was his 46th in the Premier League, taking him past İlkay Gündoğan as the division’s highest scoring German.
The result lifts the champions three points clear of Manchester City at the top, while Liverpool sit fifth on 15 points, one behind Chelsea, ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Fenerbahçe and a visit to Crystal Palace next Sunday.
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