'Arrogant' Virgil van Dijk shrugs off flak as Mo Salah saves Liverpool

Sun, 13 Sep, 2020 - 14:25

Ian Whittell

A return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence ended in breathtaking defeat and plenty of new admirers for Leeds United at Anfield but, for the reigning champions, this was a game that highlighted some of the schizophrenic issues facing Jurgen Klopp and his title defence.

A stunning return to goal scoring form from Mo Salah saw the Liverpool striker score a hat-trick, his first since December 2018, and match in one game the total of goals he scored in the eight he played during Project Restart over the summer.

But, while Salah looked back to the sort of devastating form that has now seen him amass 52 goals in 63 appearances at his club’s home stadium, Klopp would have been concerned at what unfurled at the other end of the field.

Virgil van Dijk, arguably the best defender in Europe over the past two seasons, was badly at fault for Leeds’ second equaliser, gifting the ball to Patrick Bamford with a perfunctory clearance on the half hour that the striker turned past Alisson.

It left even professional Liverpool cheerleader Jamie Carragher describing the Dutchman as “arrogant” on TV although van Dijk himself shrugged off the criticism.

“It's one of those, I think. It's a situation that can happen,” said van Dijk. “I try to do my best and that's what I did. Unfortunately, a goal came out of it, but I don't worry about that.”

Klopp — who mouthed the word “Wow” to TV cameras on the final whistle after Salah’s hat-trick goal had clinched the win with an 88th minute penalty — will presumably have been less flippant about his team’s defending.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was poor, badly at fault for Jack Harrison’s brilliant first equaliser for the Premier League newboys while the entire back four was static when Matteusz Klich made it 3-3 after 66 minutes.

But, thankfully for Klopp, he could rely on his Egyptian striker who netted from a fourth minute penalty and, again, with a devastating finish after yet more poor defending from Leeds to make it 3-2 with still only 33 minutes played.

That was Klopp’s salvation on the day, the fact that Marcelo Bielsa’s newly-promoted team defended even more poorly than his own.

Summer signing Robin Koch, a German international, handled for the opening penalty, lost Van Dijk as he headed in his team’s second, then Leeds substitute and record summer transfer Rodrigo clumsily tripped Fabinho to concede the match-winning spot kick.

“You can’t blame one player for the defeat, even if he made an error,” said Bielsa.

“There is no direct relationship between the foul by Rodrigo and the result. There are other actions that create imbalance.

“I can never be happy in defeat but we showed we deserved to be here. The players were calm and played a serene game and went into it confident. They showed that you should not be afraid. They helped each other not to be nervous.

“But, at this level, errors equal goals. We cannot ignore the fact we conceded four. A lot of these could have been avoided.”

The consolation for Bielsa and his team, however, will be a new-found respect and credibility that this display will have generated around the league.

Bielsa’s critics claim his main weakness is his idealism, the fact that he does not have, or will not adopt, a Plan B, if his default setting is not working.

Klopp had hinted as much in his Friday press conference, promising that his champions, and their trademark pressing game, would put Leeds under more pressure than they had experienced all of last season and so it proved, with the visitors barely able to get out of their half in the opening 20 minutes.

Goalscorer Bamford admitted he could not even catch his breath for that opening spell but also acknowledged that Leeds would eventually emerge with credit.

“I think we showed a lot of character to keep coming back when we went down,” said Bamford. “We showed we can compete with the best of the best.

“But we’ve shown to ourselves that we need to be 100 per cent, on it all the time because any little slip-up in the Premier League and you get punished. We’ve learned a few lessons but also shown a few positive signs.”

The same can be said of the champions although whether they can rely on Salah playing at this other-worldly level every week remains to be seen.

“It is very special to have these kind of numbers — and long may it continue,” said Klopp of Salah’s Anfield goal record. “Mo is a very, very special player. His performance was exceptional. He deserved his goals.

“He was constantly pressing, causing the opponent massive problems. He should be proud.”

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 5 (Matiz 89), Gomez 6, Van Dijk 5, Roberston 7; Wijnaldum 6, Henderson 6 (Jones 65, 6), Keita 7 (Fabinho 58, 7); Salah 9, Firmino 5, Mane 7.

Subs (not used): Adrian, Milner, Minamino, Origi.

LEEDS (4-1-4-1): Meslier 6; Ayling 7, Koch 5, Struijk 6, Dallas 7; Phillips 9; Costa 7, Hernandez 6 (Rodrigo 62, 6), Klich 7 (Shackleton 81), Harrison 7; Bamford 7 (Roberts 62, 6).

Subs (not used): Casilla, Poveda, Alioski, Casey.

Referee: M Oliver 8