Ian Wright has said that Virgil Van Dijk was ‘horrible’ to Kepa Arrizabalga after scoring in the Carabao Cup Final penalty shootout.
Speaking on Ringer FC’s Wrighty’s House podcast (5mins 12secs), the pundit commented on Virgil’s ice cold penalty.
“To see Arrizabalaga standing in the corner and Virgil still put it in that corner and then it’s the way that Virgil looked at him afterwards. Like ‘what the’,” said Wright.
“It was that kind of look, and he gave him such a look of disdain, it was horrible. Virgil’s horrible!”
Wright’s comments are light-hearted and shouldn’t be taken in the wrong way.
The look that Van Dijk gave the Chelsea goalkeeper, on the other hand, was certainly one with intent behind it.
Kepa was doing his utmost to distract the Liverpool penalty takers. But Van Dijk still smashed the ball past him.
The Dutchman then glared back at the goalie with a look that let him know that it wouldn’t work, not on these Liverpool players.
Coming hot on the heels of Fabinho’s dinked penalty – something Van Dijk himself said showed “no respect” – the two penalties seemed to somewhat break Kepa’s spirit.
You don’t mess with Virgil!
Watch him defend, and we watch him score
After burying his kick from 12 yards, Van Dijk duly collected the Man of the Match trophy.
It was an all-round defensive clinic from the 30-year-old. Chelsea did manage to breach the Liverpool high-line two or three times, but that can happen against top-class attackers.
Alongside Joel Matip and then Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk led Liverpool to a clean sheet against one of the most expensively assembled forward lines in world football.
He also could have won it at the other end. His towering header deep into stoppage time was clawed away by Edouard Mendy.
Virgil no doubt has goalscoring prowess. His goal last Wednesday against Leeds United was his fourth of this campaign.
Nevertheless, it was a little bit of a surprise to see Van Dijk step up as the third penalty taker for Liverpool on Sunday.
After specialists James Milner and Fabinho had dispatched their kicks, the centre-back strode forward.
It was amazingly the first penalty Van Dijk had ever taken in his professional career.
He has taken and scored free-kicks in the past for Celtic. The technique he shows when spraying long passes forward for Liverpool also suggest he could be an option from the penalty spot.
But through accident or design, Sunday at Wembley was the first time the number 4’s abilities had ever been utilised.
You’d never know it. It seems that Virgil is one of those people who is simply brilliant at everything he tries.
Just ask Kepa.
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