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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Alex Young

Premier League rivals no longer fear Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, says Gary Neville

Decline: Virgil van Dijk

(Picture: Getty Images)

Premier League rivals now believe Virgil van Dijk is not the player he once was.

That's according to Gary Neville and Roy Keane, who had just watched Manchester United beat Liverpool to earn their first win of the season.

It makes it three games without a win for Liverpool at the start of the season, conceding five goals in the process, to leave them 16th in the table.

"I would be worried about Liverpool ... it's the first game they've lost in an absolute age," Neville said after the game.

"To be fair, this is the type of place where you could lose a game, this is the type of ground that can eat you up."

Keane added: "You can't afford that sloppy defending, particularly from your best players. Van Dijk has been really awful."

Neville responded: "What I will say about Van Dijk is that there was a time, maybe before last season before his injury, where you wouldn't even see players take him on. They would refuse and just pass the ball.

"There are now starting to have a go, thinking 'I have a chance here'."

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