Virgil van Dijk questioned Arsenal’s pre-game injury complaints after their 2-2 draw against Liverpool (Sky Sports)
Virgil van Dijk aimed a dig at Arsenal’s pre-match injury concerns after their 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday.
Arsenal took the lead twice through Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino, but goals from Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah rescued a point for Arne Slot’s side at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta was without William Saliba due to suspension, while Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori both missed the game through injury.
Saka and Jurrien Timber were injury doubts before the match and the Dutch defender was forced off with 14 minutes remaining.
Arsenal also lost Gabriel Magalhaes in the second half through injury, which meant Arsenal finished with a back four of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
However, Van Dijk dismissed suggestions that Arsenal should be concerned about their injury list in his post-match interview with Sky Sports.
Gabriel was forced off in the second half of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool (AP)
Asked if he felt Arsenal would feel anxious with ‘another’ injury after Gabriel was forced off in the second half, Van Dijk replied: ‘Another player injured? Wow.
‘I think they only had two injuries today, isn’t it?’
However, Theo Walcott hit back at Van Dijk’s suggestion that Arsenal were only missing two players who would make their starting line-up.
‘He’s right, Arsenal were missing many of their starting players today,’ Walcott told Sky Sports.
‘But like I alluded to at the start of the game, this was an opportunity for Liverpool to show exactly what they were made of.
‘What I found disappointing was the lack of intensity when they had Arsenal on the ropes. Arsenal were dropping back, they allowed the pressure, they’re quite happy to sit in and take the 2-1 because they’re now rigid in certain ways.
‘And that’s the bit I don’t want Arsenal to lose is that freedom when they’re winning to put teams to the sword. They just didn’t quite do that, didn’t do enough to win the game but Liverpool as well, same sort of story for themselves.’
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