- Virgil van Dijk had a game to forget as Liverpool lost 4-0 against Manchester City in the FA Cup
- The Dutchman conceded a cheap penalty, allowing Erling Haaland to score
- The Reds captain’s body language also left a lot to be desired
Virgil van Dijk has nowhere to hide after Manchester City exposed the Liverpool captain in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
Arne Slot side. bowed out of the FA Cup after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 4 April.
Despite making a positive start to the game, the Reds were no match for Pep Guardiola’s side, who ran riot after taking the lead in the 39th minute.
Van Dijk was at fault for the Cityzens’ opener, as he carelessly brought down Nico O’Reilly in the box to give the hosts a cheap penalty.
The captain, as well as his teammates, immediately dropped their heads and showed no fight to get back in the game.
Damning Van Dijk stat raises questions over Liverpool captain
Van Dijk’s foul on O’Reilly saw the centre-back concede his fourth penalty of the season. With the player making 46 appearances across all competitions this term, he is giving away a spot-kick every 11.5 games.
Remarkably, this is as many penalties as he conceded in his first eight years at Liverpool, which accounts for 319 appearances.
The Netherlands international conceded his first penalty of the season in Liverpool’s Community Shield defeat against Crystal Palace in August, fouling Ismaila Sarr when Slot’s men were leading 1-0.
He also did the same in the 3-2 loss to Brentford in October, with Dango Outtara on the receiving end on that occasion.
Van Dijk was also a guilty party in the Reds 4-1 humiliation by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League in November.
While the 34-year-old’s record has improved since then, the incident against Manchester City at the weekend shows that he is perhaps not as reliable as he used to be.
Liverpool must look at life beyond Van Dijk
There has been a lot of talk about Mohamed Salah‘s subpar performances this season. Fans have been alarmed by the way the Egyptian has declined his title-winning heroics last term.
It appears that age is finally catching up to two of the greatest Liverpool players of this generation, with Van Dijk also on a rapid decline.
It is certainly a bad sign when the defender who once went 65 games across all competitions without being dribbled past is conceding four penalties in 46 matches.
The former Southampton star will turn 35 this summer, while his contract at the Merseyside-based club runs out at the end of next season.
At this rate, it is hard to see the Liverpool centre-back being offered him another deal, although it is not uncommon to see defenders play at a very high level well into their 30s.
