“It works both ways,” Virgil Van Dijk remarked, reflecting on his off-the-ball altercation with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz during the early stages of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Van Dijk was eager to extend this observation to the broader issue of player availability, noting which team had been most affected by absences. “We can keep talking about them missing players and players going out [during the game], but that’s part of football,” the Liverpool captain stated. “I think we also missed certain players.” Van Dijk’s abrupt pause, with his impassive, imposing figure standing tall, effectively conveyed his message. He had earlier informed TV reporters that Arsenal “only had two players injured [beforehand] … they fielded a very, very strong team.” If the actual number was three, Van Dijk might be forgiven for overlooking Takehiro Tomiyasu and focusing more on Martin Ødegaard and Riccardo Calafiori. Arsenal were also without the suspended William Saliba, while Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber were forced off the field.
Van Dijk was pushing back against the idea that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, despite being down to the bare bones, had managed a spirited draw; Liverpool had been without injured players like Alisson, Diogo Jota, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, and Conor Bradley. It was easy to sense Van Dijk’s frustration. His view on the Havertz incident was equally dismissive. He had pushed his opponent and aimed two kicks at him with his heel, causing Havertz to fall after the second. It was a risky move from Van Dijk, and it wasn’t hard to imagine referee Andrew Taylor being advised by VAR to check the pitch-side monitor. However, Taylor saw it all and only awarded a free-kick.
Van Dijk’s curt response to the moment was an understatement. “Yeah well, you know, it’s a physical game,” he said. “These things happen. I think if you watch the battles we have during games, it works both ways. That’s part and parcel of the game. That’s it.” It seemed like Van Dijk was preemptively defending himself, but he didn’t portray himself as an angel, and he made it clear that Arsenal couldn’t either. They couldn’t have it both ways.
It’s been five weeks since Arsenal’s contentious 2-2 draw at Manchester City, where they were accused of using underhanded tactics to hold onto a 2-1 lead after losing Leandro Trossard to a red card—players feigning cramps, delaying tactics, anything to disrupt the game’s flow. The issue of how Arsenal conducts itself on the field is once again in the spotlight, thanks to Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s post-match interview; Van Dijk’s comments added to the mix. Slot saw Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya booked for time-wasting on the 66th minute as the home team led 2-1. He couldn’t hide his frustration when Timber went down with cramp in the 72nd minute, telling his defender, Ibrahima Konaté, it was a “fucking joke.” Slot received a yellow card; he claimed it was because the fourth official thought he called him a “fucking joke.”
Slot lamented the numerous times Arsenal players went to the ground. “I don’t blame them for that, but it always happened after they had ball possession,” he said. “That drained the energy out of the game in my opinion.” It’s worth noting that Timber wasn’t faking. He hadn’t played since suffering a muscle injury against Paris Saint-Germain on October 1, was rushed back to face Liverpool, and it was clear he was starting to cramp. In his previous action—a long sprint back towards his goal—he was visibly in discomfort.
As a side note, isn’t there an irony in criticizing Arsenal for their savvy game management when, for years, they were criticized for being soft and naive? People can’t have it both ways, right? What Van Dijk wanted to emphasize was how Liverpool had gained a point rather than dropped two. The reasons were numerous and outweighed the notion that once Mohamed Salah had scored the second equalizer on the 81st minute, Arsenal’s makeshift defense was there for the taking. Liverpool didn’t play brilliantly, yet they managed to take control of the second half, having trailed 2-1 at halftime. Slot has brought stability with his classic 4-3-3 formation, featuring the No 6, the box-to-box No 8, and the No 10—and it was evident at the Emirates. His players believed in their patient, possession-based approach. It’s less heavy metal these days, but is that necessarily a bad thing?
It always feels like a better point when you’ve fought back twice. When it comes at the home of a direct rival where you’ve lost the previous two league fixtures, the case is closed. “People talked about how if you lose, you’ll lose the league … they have absolutely no clue in my opinion,” Van Dijk said. “The season is so, so long. The team that builds a strong foundation before December and then navigates December without injuries and with good results has a good chance to be top of the league.”
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