Pocket Tank Van Dijk found his target against Arsenal’s pressing

Perhaps the best summary of the game came in the Sky Sports post match interview when Mikel Arteta detailed the events in 138 seconds. If it showcases anything, it’s that the level of understanding of the men on the touchline is far beyond the imagination of @Dave09123123 from Winchester on Twitter.

Arteta was pleased with Arsenal’s performance and deservedly so. Elaborating further he talked about the pressing of both teams, then mentioned Virgil Van Dijk while shrugging his shoulders in awe. “When you go to the opposite side and you do the high press, probably perfect. They have Van Dijk and he plays a 60 yard pass into Salah’s chest, and they are out. You know..and that’s quality.”

Highlighting one aspect of this game seems unfair. The entertainment was there as many things were going on during different phases of the game. However, one player stood out throughout the ninety minutes. That player being Van Dijk isn’t a surprise, but rather than it being his composure on the ball, his smart positioning, or his immaculate defending. It was another weapon in his loaded inventory. The accurate long ball.

Arsenal’s pressing made it hard for Liverpool to reach their midfielders, similar to what they did in the community shield match. But rather than hapless long balls down the center where David Luiz easily moved out to collect, Van Dijk loaded his left foot, set the power and angle then played it straight to Salah.

The idea behind this is that with Ainsley Maitland-Niles moving more infield to be closer to Naby Keita and ready to press Trent Alexander-Arnold if the ball went wide while Arsenal are pressing, it isolated Kieran Tierney.

So when Van Dijk was attempting those long balls…

Salah was on the receiving end keeping his position by the touchline rather than drifting in. This further isolated him against Tierney, making the diagonal ball from Van Dijk beneficial as it put him Egyptian in a clear 1 v 1 situation. Maitland-Niles meanwhile isn’t near because he ready to press Keita or Alexander-Arnold.

Arsenal kept pressing Liverpool, denying any route into their midfielders. Yet, Van Dijk was prepared and the diagonal ball marathon was just starting.

Salah was keen to take Tierney on a trip to the right wing island. A place which is further isolated because Maitland-Niles was concerned with Keita in midfield. In this situation Salah doesn’t make the best out of it and Tierney’s good defending buys time for Maitland-Niles to retreat.

The 1 v 1 might have produced more chances for Liverpool if Salah had used it better. He regularly received long balls with Arsenal’s nearest defender way far from supporting Tierney. Maitland-Niles was also trying to get back from his pressing duties, but better execution from Salah could have created better chances.

Van Dijk’s balls were accurate and it only had one target in mind..

…while Maitland-Niles was in midfield.

It was Salah out wide. Here, a simple ball behind Tierney puts Keita in a dangerous position, but the execution fails Salah once again which was a shame considering his smart positioning to receive those balls.

These long balls kept coming when Maitland-Niles was readying himself in midfield.

On this occasion, Tierney read the long ball but if he hadn’t there was a high probability that Salah would have beaten him in a 1 v 1 and scored.

The diagonal long balls weren’t wasted though. Eventually, they made the difference. You are probably bored by now watching the same scenario, but this one is different. The difference is that it leads to Liverpool’s second goal. This long diagonal ball from Van Dijk while Maitland-Niles is in midfield..

….finds Roberto Firmino near the touchline. The principle is the same despite it being a different player. Isolating Tierney in a 1 v 1 as Maitland-Niles would be positioning to press Keita in midfield, and provide an outlet nearer to Arsenal’s goal from where Liverpool can then create. This scenario yields Liverpool’s second and they take the lead.

Salah was yet to redeem himself after all these long diagonal balls from Van Dijk, but he finally did later on in the game.

While the Van Dijk diagonal ball is in the air, you can spot Maitland-Niles nearer to Gini Wijnaldum than he is to the touchline.

So once Salah receives it’s a 1 v 1 with Maitland-Niles trying to cover the pass into Wijnaldum.

Salah finally provided the final output and found Diogo Jota in a clear goal scoring position. The Portuguese failed to make it 3–1 here, but he managed to do that later on in the game.

Those long balls weren’t only to make it a 1 v 1, it bypassed Arsenal’s pressing and got them “out” as Arteta said. Getting over the press while being in a position to create a high quality chance.

Liverpool are where they are because the individuals maximize the output of the collective, while the collective maximizes the output of the individuals.