Former Tottenham Hotspur defender William Gallas has absolutely torn into Eric Dier for his role in Liverpool’s dramatic winner at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s side beat Spurs 2-1 on Merseyside to move three points clear of the North Londoners at the top of the Premier League table.
It was a last-minute winner from Roberto Firmino that broke Tottenham hearts, but could it have been avoided?
Television replays showed Lilywhites’ centre-back Dier being nudged in the back by Reds captain Jordan Henderson, resulting in the former hitting the deck.
Seconds later, Firmino headed home Andy Robertson’s corner to nick all three points for the defending Premier League champions.
That being said, a foul in Tottenham’s favour would have been hugely harsh by virtue of how easily Dier went to ground, and Gallas has suggested on Instagram that it was a ploy to cheat by the England international, claiming somebody of his physical stature wouldn’t have been bundled over so easily.
Gallas wrote, in a lengthy Instagram post: “I’m sorry but Eric Dier doesn’t have the soul of a true defender. I still cannot understand how a defender who is 6ft2 tall and weighs at least 90kg ended up on the ground.
“By reviewing the images my only explanation is that on a movement of the defender of liverpool Williams, Eric Dier did not want to make the effort to defend. He threw himself on the ground, wanting to pretend there was a fault on him.
“If it had been a liverpool player who would have done this to get a penalty the fans would have said he was cheating. For me, Eric Dier tried to cheat at that moment.”
Gallas clearly knows what he is talking about in regards to centre-backs, but to say that Dier lacks the ‘soul’ of a good one is a bit of a reach.
The truth is that Dier, along with Toby Alderweireld, is a big reason as to why Tottenham would’ve gone three points clear of Liverpool with a victory the other night.
He has been immense for the most part this season and Mourinho – who also knows a thing or two about centre-backs – obviously thinks so, hence why he makes the team every week.
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