Virgil van Dijk is beatable: Liverpool defender dribbled past for first time in 65 matches


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

There's plenty of individual accolades to be won for the Premier League's top stars, from Golden Boot to Player of the Year.

But maybe there should be another awarded - to whoever successfully dribbles past Liverpool's man-mountain Virgil van Dijk.

If that was the case, Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus would have been holding not only the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday after his side's penalty shootout victory over Liverpool.

For the Brazilian went were no man has gone for well over a year - and that is past Van Dijk with the ball under control.

The Opta statistics service revealed that Jesus's dribble was the first time Van Dijk had been breached since March 2018, a remarkable period stretching 65 matches. The previous player to have made it past Van Dijk was Newcastle's Mikel Merino (remember him?).

However, whether Jesus's piece of skill constituted a dribble is open to debate.

He received the ball near the halfway and performed a drag back as Van Dijk closed in. The defender missed the tackle allowing Jesus to tack a step forward and pass towards the on-rushing Kevin De Bruyne, but he didn't actually run past him.

It rounded off a miserable afternoon for Van Dijk, whose side drew 1-1 with City after 90 minutes before losing 5-4 in the shootout.

Raheem Sterling had given City an early lead, but Joel Matip equalised and Liverpool could have won it late in the game but saw Mohamed Salah's last minute header cleared off the line by Kyle Walker.

Van Dijk also saw a second half shot bounce down off the crossbar on to the goal-line and out.

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New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat

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- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

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Date started: March 2013

Founder: Hussam Hammo

Based: Amman, Jordan

Employees: 55

Funding: $6m

Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media

Seven tips from Emirates NBD

1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details

2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet

3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details

4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure

5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs  (one-time passwords) with third parties

6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies

7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately

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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

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5. Zakat 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

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1921

1888

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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury

Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')

Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)

Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22

Brief scores

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Pique 36', Alena 87'

Villarreal 0

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

Zidane's managerial achievements

La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

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