Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk has reportedly downplayed his struggles during the first half of the Reds’ Merseyside derby match against Everton.
Jamie Carragher claimed Everton striker Beto was made to appear like a “prime Didier Drogba” by the Liverpool captain.
At one point during the first half, Beto outmuscled Van Dijk and slotted the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher at close range to put Everton in the lead. However, a VAR check saved the Dutchman’s skin by determining that the 27-year-old was just offside.
Later in the half, Beto gained possession after Van Dijk mishandled a bouncing ball. He ran through on Kelleher’s goal but whipped his effort against the post.
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During his halftime analysis of the match for Sky Sports, Carragher criticized Liverpool’s defensive play and urged the Reds’ two center-backs to do better.
According to LiverpoolFC, in an interview in the Anfield mixed zone following the game, Van Dijk was asked about the “defensive uncertainty” moment, but he was obviously unconcerned.
“That one moment? That one moment, yeah. Or the offside one, which one do you mean?” he responded. “In football, sometimes you can make mistakes, no one plays football without making mistakes.
“And unfortunately, I’m playing in the position that if I miss hit the ball, what happens then, it could lead to a very, very big chance.
“And that’s what happened, so that moment goes actually then in slow motion. But listen, whatever happened during the game, there’s still so much time to turn your defensive uncertainties around and I think that’s what we did.”
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