Andre Onana hits back at Virgil van Dijk with pointed remark after ‘arrogant’ Man Utd dig

Following Virgil van Dijk’s Sunday post-match interview in which he criticized Manchester United’s mindset on Merseyside, Roy Keane called the skipper of Liverpool “arrogant.”

Following his team’s goalless draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, Andre Onana insisted that Manchester United “came to win”.

At full time, Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, blasted United, saying “there was only one team trying to win the game”. Van Dijk’s comment incensed Roy Keane, who claimed that there was “obviously some arrogance coming out of him”.

Onana disapproved of Van Dijk’s evaluation as well. After most pundits wrote United off, the goalkeeper was asked his thoughts on salvaging a point on Merseyside. Less than five days before Sunday’s match, Erik ten Hag’s team was eliminated from Europe.

United, which is ten points behind Liverpool in the Premier League, is likewise having trouble. Despite the visitors’ defiance of the critics, Onana was not happy. He said, “Not bad, it could be better because we came here to win,” to beIN Sports. Manchester United is who we are.

“We must continue to fight because we did not achieve the desired outcome. It is your duty as a player for such a large team to attempt to win every game. Though we were disappointed not to win, we will move on and enjoy the next games.”

Next, someone asked Onana if United has high standards. In response, the goalie said, “Obviously. Manchester United is who we are. If you don’t want to win, why would we even start the game? Remaining at Carrington (the training ground) is preferable. The goal of coming here is to succeed. We are among the greatest teams in the world, regardless of who we play against.”

Onana made his remarks shortly after Van Dijk humiliated United on Sky Sports. “You can see how we controlled the ball and created some opportunities throughout the game,” he stated. There was just one team vying for the victory.

Virgil van Dijk was critical of United after Sunday’s game ( Image: Sky Sports)

Naturally, we want to win every game, which is why it irritates us. We occasionally shot too easily and had the opportunity to pass on the overlap. Sometimes the right choice was not made. Naturally, we continue, but it annoys us because we were better in every way.

“In the end, we are disappointed with a point, and they are giddy with a point. They are obviously not at their best. You are cautious about our threat when you come here. We ought to have prevailed today. Certain situations require us to learn, and I’m sure we will.”

Then, Keane was questioned about his prompt response to Van Dijk’s remarks. “Clearly some arrogance coming out of him dissing United like that,” he remarked. He should remind himself that he is a player on a team that has won just one championship in the previous thirty-odd years.

“Man United is ecstatic about the point, he said, adding that only one team wanted to win. Man United finds itself in a challenging situation, much like Liverpool has for many months. Perhaps that arrogance came back to haunt him today.”