'Van Disney' has been trending on Twitter after Virgil van Dijk's bizarre defending for Manchester United's opener against Liverpool.
Jadon Sancho put the hosts up in the 16th minute after a fine start, with the England international showing remarkable composure to roll the ball into the corner following lovely combination play between Christian Eriksen and Anthony Elanga down the left.
But from a Liverpool perspective it was a woeful goal to concede. Not only were James Milner and Alisson Becker both absolutely sent to the shops, fans were less than impressed by Van Dijk looking like he was frozen as he kept his hands behind his back.
And for the second time this season, 'Van Disney', a new jibe many are using to go after Liverpool's No.4, was getting all sorts of reaction online:
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Milner and Van Dijk were seen having a strong exchange of words after the goal, with the former incredibly animated in the discussion.
Van Dijk, widely considered to be the best in the world in his position had a poor showing in Liverpool's first game of the season and gave a penalty after being skinned by Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who became the first player to dribble past him since he joined Liverpool in January 2018.
And he and his Liverpool teammates looked very ropey at the back against United, who caused all sorts of problems with their energy, aggression and pace in attack with the likes of Elanga, Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
Elanga hit the post early on after being played in behind and there was the feeling that United were a threat every time they went forward.
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With injuries to Ibrahim Konate and Joel Matip, Van Dijk was partnered by Joe Gomez at the heart of Liverpool's backline. The last time they started together in the Premier League was that horrific 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa in October 2020 and it was the same sort of defending on show here.
Featured Image Credit: Image: Sky SportsTopics: Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League
