Virgil van Dijk is labelled as 'lazy' in Liverpool's clash at Chelsea

Virgil van Dijk was ‘LAZY’ is defending against Chelsea and ‘wasn’t even sprinting’ for their equaliser, say Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Graeme Souness, as Jamie Carragher bemoans Liverpool’s offside line ‘obsession’

  • Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
  • They squandered a two-goal lead as Christian Pulisic equalised before half time 
  • Defender Virgil van Dijk’s effort in the build up to the goal has been questioned 
  • Liverpool’s star centre-back found his defending blasted for being ‘lazy’ 

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was slammed for being ‘lazy’ by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as Graeme Souness questions the Dutcmhan’s defending in the build-up to Christian Pulisic’s equaliser at Stamford Bridge. 

The Reds were held to a 2-2 draw on Sunday after they squandered a two-goal advantage to allow Chelsea to snatch a point. 

Liverpool has taken the lead just 10 minutes into the game when Sadio Mane capitalised on a defensive error by Trevoh Chalobah before Mohamed Salah put the Reds in control with a wonder goal. 

Virgil van Dijk’s (right) defending has been blasted as ‘lazy’ after Chelsea’s equaliser on Sunday

But Chelsea managed to claw the score back to level in the final minutes of the first half thanks to Mateo Kovacic and Pulisic. 

The American cooly slotted home the equaliser just before the break when he found himself in acres of space. 

Centre back colossus Van Dijk has been accused of ‘lazy’ defending after Pulisic’s goal. 

Former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness questioned why the Dutchman did not make more of an effort to get across to block the shot. 

Christian Pulisic clawed the score back to level  just before half-time at Stamford Bridge

Mohamed Salah’s goal gave Liverpool a two-goal advantage but they could not hold their lead

Speaking at half-time on Sky Sports, Souness said: ‘Why has Van Dijk not come across there?

‘He’s just running in a straight line back to his goal.

‘Come over, come over, come over – he’s not even sprinting.’

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was also left baffled by Van Dijk’s effort, adding: ‘It’s lazy, isn’t it?’

Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, blamed Liverpool’s entire defensive play as he insisted the Reds’ ‘obsession’ with playing offside and keeping in line was why they got caught out.

Mateo Kovacic had scored Chelsea’s first goal after 42 minutes to reduce Liverpool’s lead

Carragher said: ‘They’ve got an obsession, Liverpool’s centre-backs, you see this a lot where they always stay in line with each other.

‘They never cover each other – there’s an obsession with playing offside.

‘We noticed that right throughout the game, the space between the two centre-backs is too big.  

‘Initially, his starting position, Van Dijk, because he’s not intense enough to get over, he doesn’t want to cover his other centre-back. 

‘He stays in the same line, and that’s why he’s too far to get across.’

In the second half, Gary Neville chimed in on co-commentary as he suggested Liverpool’s defensive line was ‘too high’ and claimed Van Dijk looked ‘uncomfortable’.

Premier League champions Man City are running away at the top of the table as Liverpool and Chelsea’s stalemate sees Kevin de Bruyne and co move 11 points clear.




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