Virgil van Dijk 'sent for a hot dog' as Liverpool defender left sprawled on floor
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was devastated by Spurs' Ivan Perisic towards the end of the first half in Sunday's clash, with the former left on his rear end
It's not often Virgil van Dijk is made to look amateurish when it comes to one-on-one defending, which makes it that much more worthy of comment when it does occur.
And Ivan Perisic scored a collectors' item en route to getting Tottenham back in the game during Sunday's first half at Anfield. Hosts Liverpool were well on their way to bagging all three points after going 3-0 up in the first 15 minutes, closing in on a near-perfect performance in the opening half.
But Ryan Mason's side hoisted themselves back into the fixture thanks to Harry Kane's sumptuous volley on the 40-minute mark. The sweet strike nutmegged Alisson Becker on its way to the back of the net, but the clean sheet might have been preserved were it not for Van Dijk's not-so-valiant defending.
READ MORE: Tottenham capitulate again as Liverpool race into three-goal lead inside 15 minutes
The Netherlands international was instead 'sent for a hot dog' by Perisic, whose quick cut-back sent the former Celtic and Southampton man sprawling. Van Dijk briefly resembled Keanu Reeves' 'Neo' dodging bullets in 'The Matrix', except without the black leather or a fraction of the panache.
"A sorry moment for the big Dutchman," wrote one sympathetic social media user. "Made it too easy for Perisic."
"Best defender of all time right there though," wrote another alongside a string of laughing emojis, poking fun at those fans who have put Van Dijk's prowess on a pedestal in recent years.
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Liverpool loyalists came to Van Dijk's defence, however, with some leaning on the fact the mistake occurred with the team leading 3-0. "That would be impressive if they weren't already 3-0 down," typed one prickly supporter, while another replied: "Literally slipped but carry the agenda on."
While Van Dijk may have played a major hand in Tottenham's salvaging strike before the break, Jurgen Klopp will have had questions for the rest of his defence. Both Kane and Pedro Porro were left to their own devices at the back post, begging questions of the other members of the Reds back line dragged out of position.
While Van Dijk disappointment has become a more frequent sight this season, he's hardly alone among Liverpool players who have underperformed. The Dutchman was heavily criticised for his display in defeat to Bournemouth earlier this season, with many highlighting the contrast between the Van Dijk of today and his former glories at Anfield.
Centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate was the main man to blame for Son Heung-min's 77th-minute strike, taking his eye off the Spurs star long enough for him to snatch a second at Anfield. Liverpool's forward corps could also cop some flack for not finishing the chances that could have put Sunday's game to bed sooner - but none of those carry quite the same comedic element as Van Dijk's disastrous slip.
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