Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has told Sky Sports, during their live coverage of his side’s match with Liverpool, that Virgil van Dijk seriously impressed him last night.
Arsenal slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool yesterday, despite putting in a fairly spirited display.
Arteta saw just how tough beating Liverpool is once again, as his high-pressing side often struggled to get a real foothold in the match.
Arsenal tried to harry Liverpool defenders into making an error, as they always do, but their pressing game was ineffective at times.
And Arteta moved to praise Van Dijk’s passing range after the match.
“When you get past the Liverpool press, you then hit Van Dijk. He then hits a 60-yard pass to Mo Salah, and they are out of the press. That is quality,” he said.
Arsenal struggled more with playing out from the back, as both teams looked to press high up on the pitch.
The Gunners were occasionally caught out by the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, who were relentlessly chasing down their defenders to try and win possession back.
Arsenal could still take heart from their performance at Anfield though, as they continue to show signs of progress under Arteta’s stewardship.
Arsenal’s record transfer deals
- Nicolas Pepe
£72 million
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
£56 million
- Alexandre Lacazette
£52 million
- Thomas Partey
45 million
- Mesut Ozil
£42 million
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