Liverpool’s Van Dijk labels man Arsenal sold as his ‘toughest’ ever opponent

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Liverpool and Premier League star Virgil van Dijk has singled out Arsenal strikers past and present when discussing the ‘toughest attackers’ he has faced with Gabriel Jesus and Olivier Giroud high on the list. 

Few strikers in world football would have Virgil van Dijk reaching for the aspirin. 

But, albeit for very different reasons and very different skillsets, Olivier Giroud and Gabriel Jesus have given one of the planet’s finest centre-halves his fair share of headaches, the former capable of matching Van Dijk’s fearsome physical prowess while the latter possesses the quick-feet and the quick-wit to terrorise any centre-half when on form. 

Virgil van Dijk pays tribute to Arsenal favourites

“The toughest attacker I faced? I think it was Olivier Giroud,” Van Dijk, who first arrived in England back in 2015 with Southampton, tells France Football.

“Every time, it seems like you’re marking him well. But he always manages to score, in one way or another. With the head, with the foot, with the knee… He often scored against me.

“Then, I don’t forget (Manchester City legend) Sergio Aguero, who was very strong, but also Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus. Every one (of these strikers) makes you have very difficult matches.”

Jesus, some sections of the Arsenal fanbase may argue, has not made life ‘difficult’ enough for opposition defenders of late. The Brazil international has scored only three goals in 15 Premier League games, with a dip in form from him, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka causing quite the clamour for an elite-level centre-forward to arrive at a side who’s lack of ruthlessness could cost them a serious stab at the title this term. 

Do the Gunners need a striker?

“How many teams do anything without a centre forward? What will Arsenal’s downfall potentially be this season? It will be (the issue of having) no centre-forward,” Gunners icon Paul Merson wrote in a recent Sky Sports column after Mikel Arteta’s side wasted chance after chance in a 1-0 loss at Villa Park.  

“They dominated Aston Villa at the weekend, but they couldn’t score a goal.” 

Former Blackburn Rovers frontman Chris Sutton, meanwhile, is ‘surprised’ by the apparent lack of interest from Arsenal in Bournemouth talisman Dominic Solanke.