A number of Arsenal fans jumped onto their phones during Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Brentford to question why Virgil van Dijk wasn’t receiving the same level of criticism as Arsenal defender Ben White for his perceived struggles against Ivan Toney.
The 25-year-old attacker was a threat throughout the tie, assisting Ethan Pinnock’s opener and coming close to sealing all three points for Thomas Frank’s men in extra-time before a timely intervention from the Reds’ No.4.
The former Peterborough star has grown by leaps and bounds since trading outfits last summer, registering four goal contributions in six appearances in the English top-flight.
Credit where credit’s due, Toney did indeed terrorise our backline, playing like a man who has plied his trade in the Premier League for years rather than embarking on his first full season in the league.
Whilst we’d suggest that some critique is perhaps due, we are talking about two centre-halves, in White and Van Dijk, that are worlds apart in ability and consistency.
Likewise, we’d be inclined to argue a similar case for Joel Matip – another target for Arsenal fans’ displeasure in the wake of our weekend stalemate.
You can catch some of the fan reaction below, courtesy of HITC:
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