Virgil van Dijk was completely flustered by Ivan Perisic when he was left ankle-deep in Harry Kane's pre-scoring situation.
Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, looking to inflict more pain on the north London club.
Ryan Mason has only started his second game, in his second, after a two-goal draw at Manchester United midweek.
However, the specter of last week's loss to Newcastle United seems to have returned to haunt them.
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Jurgen Klopp's side were leading 1-0 after just three minutes, with Trent Alexander-Arnold's pass finding Curtis Jones in a one-acre park. The score was 2-0 just two minutes later when Luis Diaz scored his first since September with a fine finish from Cody Gakpo's cross.
And in a game against Spurs, fans were given an early break after 15 minutes, when Mohamed Salah solved recent penalty issues by scoring from the spot, after a Critistian Romero foul sent the defences. Sunday's lousy league has to mind.
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However, the visitors were really back in the game late in the half, with Kane following Perisic's cross, after the Croatian had destroyed Van Dijk's left ankle and his reputation.
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
One Manchester United fan laughed: "The Liverpool fans were too bold to get Lisandro Martinez when they got Van Dijk.
"Van Dijk looks like I'm stuck after so many times," said a second rival fan. Advertisement
Looking for a glimmer for the dark clouds, one Spurs fan added: "We were 3-1 down but remember Ivan Prehistoric let Virgil Van Dijk kick his ass to make the pass. decision."
"Looks like someone cut Van Dijk," another joked.
A fifth fan replied: "Van Dijk has been sent back to Groningen by 42-year-old pensioner Perisic", perhaps unjustly insulting the winger at the same time.
"Is this the Van Dijk they say is the Premier League's all-time greatest centre-back?" another asked, who recalled Jamie Carragher's recent comments.
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VIRGIL VAN DIJK ONE Autumn of PERISIC 😳 pic.twitter.com/m9Wr24Y9m2
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 30, 2023
After being beaten in the first half, Mason's side, with their third manager in just over a month, looked like they would have a spectacular comeback.
Kane's goal was followed by a few more opportunities, when Son Heung-min hit the post, although he was quickly flagged for offside. The change in momentum is certainly aided by Van Dijk, who is ending a season in mediocre form compared to his previous exceptionally high standards.
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