Roy Keane was critical of one Liverpool player during the first half of the clash against Manchester City on Sunday evening.
The Reds were by far the better team in the opening 45 minutes and needed just 12 to take the lead through Cody Gakpo, who finished to the net from close range after a brilliant assist from Mo Salah.
However, while one Dutchman got his name on the scoresheet at Anfield, another will have been disappointed not to do likewise prior to the interval.
Keane laments Van Dijk’s finishing
Speaking at half-time on punditry duty for Sky Sports, Keane was dismayed with Virgil van Dijk for passing up two opportunities to score in the first 20 minutes.
The ex-Manchester United captain said: “It’s a world-class ball from Salah for the goal. Liverpool have had other opportunities.
“I think Ortega gets a touch to the Van Dijk header so it’s a world-class save. For his second chance, six yards out, Van Dijk has to do better. That was a huge opportunity.”
Keane has a point about one of Van Dijk’s chances
We’re not to point the finger at Van Dijk over the first instance that Keane mentioned, the header from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner which thundered off the post and may have gotten the slightest of touches from Stefan Ortega’s glove.
However, the Liverpool captain ought to have at least hit the target a few minutes later when he headed wide with the Man City goalkeeper having no hope of denying him on that occasion.
Sky Sports reporter Laura Hunter summed it up when she said: “How’s he missed!? Van Dijk has his hands on his head and rightly so. Free header from six yards and he plants it wide. What a golden opportunity to make it 2-0.”
For all of the Reds’ dominance in the first half, they led by the slenderest of margins at half-time and, at the time of writing, could come to regret the chances they didn’t capitalise upon before the interval.
Hopefully Liverpool won’t have any reasons to be asking ‘what if’ by the time the final whistle blows.
