'Now and again': Jamie Carragher pinpoints Virgil van Dijk flaw after Liverpool's draw vs Arsenal
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Virgil van Dijk took centre stage for Liverpool as they played out a 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The Liverpool captain canceled out Bukayo Saka’s opener in the first half and was in the thick of the action in what turned out to be an entertaining game of football.
Van Dijk got his name on the scoresheet and couldn’t have done much to prevent the two goals Arsenal scored on the night.
However, Jamie Carragher feels the Dutchman can still improve despite his status as one of the best defenders in the world as he appeared to point out one flaw in his gameplay.
Jamie Carragher tells Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk to show more intensity
Due to his stature and long strides, Van Dijk covers a lot of ground effortlessly and that is often mistaken as him not trying hard enough.
Speaking after the game, Carragher said the Liverpool captain sometimes plays the game in ‘slow motion’ as he urged him to show more intensity.
"I've seen Van Dijk in a Liverpool shirt now for six or seven years and I think I can probably count on one hand how many times I've seen him sprint,” said Carragher on Sky Sports.
“He plays the same in slow motion and at times that's the one thing you could probably say to him. Now and again, could he have more intensity?"
On the other hand, Carragher singled out Ibrahima Konate for high praise, describing the Frenchman as the best player on the pitch by a mile against Arsenal.
What Carragher said about Van Dijk earlier this season
Carragher believes Van Dijk was Liverpool’s most important player when they won the title under Jurgen Klopp in 2020, describing the Dutchman as someone the Reds simply couldn’t have done without.
He has been indispensable for the club since joining in January 2018, but his future hangs in the balance as his contract runs out next summer.
Talking to the media after the draw against Arsenal, Van Dijk said he’s calm about his future, but it remains to be seen what happens as Liverpool face a race against time to keep the towering defender.
