Van Dijk is human after all


Going into Sunday's Community Shield tie, no player had managed to dribble past Virgil van Dijk for an incredible 519 days.

That came to an end in the 2019/20 curtain-raiser at Wembley, as Liverpool lost out to Manchester City via a penalty shootout after a pulsating 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.


​Gabriel Jesus was the man to end that record, as he became the first player since Mikel Merino of ​Newcastle to successfully complete a dribble past the towering Dutch defender.


Van Dijk is human after all. Or he's a complete fraud, depending on who you ask.

Either way, Jesus did something that no player was able to do in the entirety of the 2018/19 season. Even ​Lionel Messi and ​Cristiano Ronaldo, who both came up against the Dutchman last year, were unable to complete this feat.

The moment of wizardry came in the second half, as Jesus brought the ball down on the halfway line, as the Dutchman dived in to make a challenge.

The Brazilian then neatly dragged the ball back and put it to the other side of Van Dijk, allowing him to attempt a dangerous through ball to ​Kevin de Bruyne, which he inadvertently overhit.


Not everybody was convinced on the validity of the so-called 'dribble', however. Particularly those in ​Liverpool.

Then again, supporters of other clubs cast doubt over whether the stat should have stood in the first place and have highlighted examples of where the record may have been broken in the past.

It was a tidy piece of skill, regardless and Jesus made it an even more memorable day when he stroked home the winning penalty in the shootout.

With ​City and Liverpool as the two favourites for the ​Premier League title, they are sure to carry their rivalry long into the season and hopefully entertain viewers once again with another enthralling title race.

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