Virgil van Dijk questioned Arsenal’s pre-game injury concerns following Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with the Gunners on Sunday.
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Arsenal took the lead twice, with goals from Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino, only for Liverpool to fight back, with Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah scoring to level the match at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the game short-staffed, missing key players William Saliba, who was suspended, and Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori, both sidelined due to injuries.
Additionally, Saka and Jurrien Timber were game-time decisions, with Timber forced to exit early in the 76th minute. Arsenal’s backline also suffered when Gabriel Magalhaes was injured in the second half, leaving the team with a makeshift defense of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
In his post-match comments to Sky Sports, Van Dijk was dismissive of Arsenal’s injury woes. When asked if he thought the Gunners would feel the pinch of “another” injury after Gabriel’s early exit, he replied sarcastically, “Another player injured? Wow. I think they only had two injuries today, isn’t it?”
However, Theo Walcott defended Arsenal’s struggles, pushing back on Van Dijk’s remarks. Walcott noted that Arsenal were missing several starting players, and emphasized Liverpool’s missed opportunity to capitalize.
“At the start, this was a chance for Liverpool to prove themselves,” Walcott said on Sky Sports. “The lack of intensity when they had Arsenal under pressure was disappointing. Arsenal was comfortable absorbing it, even willing to settle for the 2-1, showing their adaptability. But they held back when they should’ve been pressing.”
Walcott added that he doesn’t want Arsenal to lose their aggressive style when leading, urging them to maintain momentum and put opponents “to the sword.”
