Virgil van Dijk denies Roy Keane claim of 'arrogance' about Manchester United comments

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has refuted Roy Keane’s accusation of arrogance regarding his comments on Manchester United following their goalless draw. After the match at Anfield on Sunday, Van Dijk, the Reds’ captain, remarked that “there was only one team trying to win the game.”

Keane, a former United midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit, criticized Van Dijk, stating that there was “arrogance coming out of him [Van Dijk], dissing United like that.” Responding to Keane’s comments, Van Dijk expressed respect for Keane but maintained that there was no arrogance in his statements.

“I like Roy Keane, and if he said that, then it’s fine,” said Van Dijk. “He is Manchester United throughout, and I understand he could react like that, but I felt what I said, and there is absolutely no arrogance in that. Everyone who watched the game probably felt the same. We move on. We had the opportunity, and we couldn’t score, and that’s the frustrating part.”

Despite dominating possession with 69% and attempting 34 shots, Liverpool failed to score against a defensively oriented United side. The draw marked Liverpool’s first home game without a win this season, causing them to drop a point and a place behind Premier League leaders Arsenal after 17 games.

Van Dijk acknowledged the challenges faced by Liverpool, emphasizing the difficulty of breaking down United’s defensive approach. He noted the team’s effort to push for a goal but admitted that, at times, they may have forced the play too much in their attempt to find a solution.

“Maybe [we were] trying to force it a little bit at times, and we could have made a better decision, but it was hard to break the low block down,” said Van Dijk. “You push, you push, you push and try to do everything in your power, but it was one of those days we couldn’t find the right decision to score a goal. At times – I won’t say every time – we forced it too much to find a solution which wasn’t there, but that’s football.”