Gary Neville Stunned By What Virgil van Dijk Did During Liverpool 1-2 Man United

Gary Neville was left in disbelief after Manchester United’s opening goal against Liverpool, questioning Virgil van Dijk’s actions in the build-up to the goal. The Dutchman was at the heart of the build-up which eventually led to Bryan Mbeumo’s goal.

After United broke the deadlock in just 63 seconds, the hosts piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser. They hit the woodwork three times in the match, but eventually levelled proceedings when Cody Gakpo steered the ball home from close range.

However, their joy was short-lived, as Harry Maguire headed home a looping cross from Bruno Fernandes to spark wild scenes in the away end. The 2-1 loss leaves Liverpool chasing a first win in four games, with Arne Slot facing an uphill battle to rescue his side’s form.

Neville Shocked by Van Dijk’s Defending

There was some controversy in the build-up to the opening goal of the game, as Alexis Mac Allister seemingly suffered a head injury prior to Mbeumo smashing the ball past Giorgi Mamardashvili. But Neville, who was commentating on the game for Sky Sports, was more preoccupied by Van Dijk’s actions.

The Liverpool captain had pushed up the pitch to challenge Mbeumo for a header, as the pair clashed with Mac Allister, who fell to the turf. But while the United attacker got to his feet quickly to attack the goal, the centre-back didn’t display the same urgency.

That didn’t sit well with Neville, who believed that Van Dijk should have raced back to help his backline out. He said: “Watch Van Dijk, that’s the thing that stuns me here. Mbuemo runs off the back of him, I don’t think Van Dijk sees him! Konate can’t get across, but watch Van Dijk. Mbuemo gets up, reacts like a boxer who’s been punched and off he goes.

It proved to be a difficult day for Van Dijk and Liverpool’s defenders as a whole. The relationship between the club captain and left-back Milos Kerkez was questioned by BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool star Stephen Warnock, with the pair seemingly on a completely different wavelength.

The defensive solidity which helped form the bedrock of the Reds’ title-winning season in 2024/25 has seemingly deserted them, and that desperately needs to be addressed if Slot’s side are to keep pace with league leaders Arsenal. They will have the chance to return to winning ways against Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday before they travel to London to face Brentford next Saturday.