Liverpool fans are beyond appalled with their side’s 1-0 Premier League loss to relegation-threatened Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
While fans were angry with the overall performances of their players, many believe that Virgil van Dijk was mainly to blame for Phillip Billing’s winner. Bournemouth’s Dango Outtara outpaced the centre-back near the byline after a short scuffle, before turning in the cross Billing scored from.
The Dutchman wasn’t able to keep up with Outtara and might have gotten a block on the cross if he did better. This saw the Anfield faithful take to Twitter and rip into Van Dijk.
Here are some reactions:
Just saw the goal replay. What was Van Dijk doing? Man just stopped running #BOULIV
@LFCLaurie Truly pathetic from Van Dijk, looked as if he didn’t want to defend and then tried to blame his shortcomings on others. Honestly should’ve been taken off at half time
Is van dijk finished? He’s been absolutely horrendous this season. Maybe age is starting to catch up with him?♂️
Dreadful in the WC and missed a pen to put his country out aswell…
@LFC Just disgusting. And tell Van Dijk to sit down if he’s too cool to play.
@WilcoFtbl Van dijk out , we need centre half’s who actually put in effort
Salah and Van Dijk were so shite today.They cost us the match.
???
Maguire has had a better 2023 than Van Dijk.Read that again.
@eoinion have a few of Van Dijk here from today if you need an update bozo
Bournemouth secure unexpected 1-0 win over Liverpool
Bournemouth caused a major upset in the Premier League as they secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Liverpool. The game was billed as a straightforward win for the Reds, but the resilient Cherries had other ideas, with Philip Billing’s first-half goal proving decisive.
The Reds had a bright start to the game, with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo both coming close to scoring early on. However, Bournemouth’s defense held strong, with Jefferson Lerma clearing a Virgil van Dijk header off the line.
Bournemouth’s Dango Outtara then had a great chance to score but fired wide, but it wasn’t long before Billing scored, putting the home side ahead in the 28th minute. Former Liverpool player Dominic Solanke almost added a second on the stroke of half-time, but scuffed his effort over the bar.
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota came on in the second half and looked lively, winning a penalty for his side after his header hit Adam Smith’s arm. However, Salah failed to convert the spot-kick, blasting the ball wide of the post.
After that miss, the Reds struggled to create any meaningful chances, and Bournemouth’s defense held firm, frustrating the visitors. The home fans were ecstatic at the final whistle, with Bournemouth securing a vital three points that lifted them off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone.
The Reds, on the other hand, missed a crucial opportunity to close the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and will be disappointed to have lost against a side that was struggling at the bottom of the league.
Jurgen Klopp’s men will next travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday. The Merseysiders will have to overturn a 5-2 first-leg deficit to keep their European campaign alive.
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