Tuesday Talking Points
Van Dijk's controversial comments, Grealish stakes his claim and 20 up for Kane.
There were more twists and turns in what is shaping up to be a dramatic Premier League title race this weekend, with Arsenal and Aston Villa benefitting as Liverpool and Manchester City dropped points.
Jurgen Klopp's Reds fired off 34 shots in Sunday's clash with old rivals Manchester United, but they failed to find a route to goal as Erik ten Hag's men clung on for a goalless draw.
Ten Hag's somewhat conservative approach didn't impress everybody, however, with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk attracting criticism from Roy Keane for claiming United had no intention of trying to win the game.
Elsewhere, there was a surprising slip-up from Manchester City as Crystal Palace recovered from 2-0 down to clinch a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium. With Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku sidelined, Jack Grealish stepped up with another goal – might he lead the champions out of their slump?
In Germany, meanwhile, Harry Kane continued his remarkable start to life at Bayern Munich by reaching 20 Bundesliga goals in just 14 games. Is the striker destined to send more records tumbling as the season progresses?
Here, More Than A Game delves into the weekend’s main Talking Points.
SUPERIOR IN ALL ASPECTS BUT ONE
It's fair to say Liverpool defender Van Dijk was not impressed by Manchester United's lack of endeavour in Sunday's underwhelming draw at Anfield. In his post-match interview with Sky Sports, Van Dijk said:
"There was only one team trying to win the game. Unfortunately it didn't happen. We want to win every game, especially against a team like them.
"It's frustrating as we were superior in all aspects and they were just hoping on the counterattack to hurt us. In the end they are buzzing with a point and we are disappointed with a point."
In some respects, Van Dijk had a point. Liverpool attempted 34 shots to United's six, their most in any Premier League game on record (since 2003-04) in which they have failed to score. Klopp's men won the expected goals (xG) battle comprehensively (2.38-0.75) and amassed 49 touches in the visitors' area.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, there was one aspect in which they weren't superior: taking their chances.
Forwards Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo were all guilty of wasteful finishing and poor decision-making, with 15 of the hosts’ attempts coming from outside the area.
In the Sky Sports studio, a wound-up Keane issued a rather nonsensical response, calling Van Dijk "arrogant" before adding: "He needs reminding that he is playing for a club that has won one title in 30-odd years."
But it's easy to see why Van Dijk's comments rankled. We at More Than A Game have been extremely critical of United this season, but regardless of the manner of Sunday's performance, they became the first visiting team to avoid defeat at Anfield in any competition in 2023-24.
Whether the result tells us anything about United and their long-term development is a separate debate, but from Liverpool's point of view, a day which began with an air of expectancy ended on a bitter note.
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