Virgil van Dijk accepts blame for key Arsenal goal as Roy Keane slams Liverpool’s ‘pub team’ defending

Virgil van Dijk quickly settled the debate over who was at fault for Liverpool’s defensive shambles by taking full responsibility.

The Reds captain was involved in a crucial moment during a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, failing to deal with a long ball and getting in a mix-up with Alisson Becker, which allowed Gabriel Martinelli to slot into an open goal.

The moment completely changed the match with Liverpool on top after half-time having come away from the first half lucky to be level at 1-1.

Van Dijk failed to clear the ball, allowing it to bounce, before Alisson charged out and failed to clear it, with the crossed wires causing debate over who made the error.

Speaking post-match, the Dutch defender said: “The 2-1 goal I take full responsibility for that, and that’s a big turning point in the game.

“I should have done better and I should have made a better decision there. It hurts for me and it hurts for the rest of the team. 

“It’s a big turning point, we were so good after the break, we were having opportunities, we were dominant, I think the energy started to drain a little bit. 

“I should just try and clear it but I made the split-second wrong decision and unfortunately these things happen sometimes in football but that doesn’t take away that it hurts.”

Manchester United legend Roy Keane didn’t have much sympathy for Van Dijk after the match, slamming Liverpool’s defending throughout.

“Liverpool defensively, the goals they gave away, it was like a pub team defending,” he said. 

“In terms of the intensity from the first whistle to the last with Liverpool, in possession and without, I can’t believe how bad they were, but credit to Arsenal, they turned up and were at it.”

The error for Arsenal’s second wasn’t the only moment Liverpool will have to analyse post-match, with Van Dijk and his centre back partner Ibrahima Konate all over the place for Bukayo Saka’s opener.

Then, with their chances of taking something from the game ebbing away at 2-1, Van Dijk didn’t manage to get to Leandro Trossard in time, and the Belgian slotted through Alisson’s legs to end the contest.