Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker look dejected after a mix-up costs Liverpool a goal against Arsenal in the Premier League in February 2024.

‘Like a pub team’ – Liverpool slammed by Roy Keane for defensive blunders in Arsenal loss

February 4, 2024 Sports 7 Views

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has slammed Liverpool’s back line after their 3-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, saying the Reds defended like a “pub team” in north London.

With the scores at 1-1 in the teams’ clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Liverpool failed to deal with an innocuous-looking long ball over the top as Virgil van Dijk left it for goalkeeper Alisson Becker to clear and the Brazilian completely missed his kick to allow Gabriel Martinelli a simple finish into an empty net.

There was no way back from that for the Reds and Arsenal went on to score a third goal through Leandro Trossard in added time.

Van Dijk was also caught out of position for Bukayo Saka’s opener inside a quarter of an hour and perhaps could have got closer to Trossard for the Gunners’ third.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane said: “He got that wrong (for the first goal). If you go out, you’ve got to get some sort of contact on the ball or make a tackle. He ends up in no man’s land, I think it’s really poor defending from an experienced player…

“Liverpool defensively and the goals they gave away, they were like a pub team today. I think defenders are complicating the game now. Just go and head that ball (for the second goal). It’s straightforward. He has been like that from the start of the game, even with some of his passing.

“People like them being casual, I don’t. Switch on and smell the danger, go and head the ball. He’s a big strong boy…”

And on the third goal, he said: “Trossard can’t believe his luck. He’s thinking ‘someone has got to close me down’, he can’t believe it and is almost reluctant to shoot. The goalkeeper has got to save it.

Look at Van Dijk, you’ve got to come alive and smell the danger. It’s almost like ‘am I too cool to dive in or make a lunge?’

“It’s too little, too late. I blame him for the three goals. He’s entitled to have a bad game of course, but to give up three goals in such a big game, it could cost them at the end of the season.”