The rivalry between Liverpool and Arsenal just got a little spicier — and it’s all thanks to Mikel Arteta’s brutal post-match comments. Following Arsenal’s emphatic 3–1 win over Liverpool at the Emirates, the Gunners’ boss was caught on camera delivering a stunning assessment of one of Jürgen Klopp’s key men. According to Arteta, the player “just isn’t the same anymore.” His exact words? “He’s finished.”
Arteta’s remarks, reportedly directed at Virgil van Dijk, have sent shockwaves through the Premier League fanbase. The Arsenal manager was discussing his team’s dominant attacking display when he appeared to take a swipe at Liverpool’s defensive leader. “We respected him for years,” Arteta said. “But today, he looked slow, uncertain — he’s finished at this level if that continues.” The jab didn’t go unnoticed, with clips of his comments spreading like wildfire across social media within minutes.
Liverpool fans were furious, calling Arteta’s words “disrespectful” and accusing him of trying to stir the pot ahead of the title race run-in. Arsenal supporters, however, lapped it up, celebrating their manager’s confidence and pointing out that Van Dijk struggled to contain the pace of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka throughout the game. “Arteta said what everyone’s been thinking,” one fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Jürgen Klopp, ever the protector of his players, quickly came to Van Dijk’s defense in his post-match interview. “People can talk, but Virgil remains one of the best defenders in the world,” Klopp insisted. “He’s human — he makes mistakes. But I wouldn’t swap him for anyone.” Still, the tension between the two managers seems to be bubbling, adding extra fire ahead of the teams’ next meeting later in the season.
Whether Arteta’s comments were taken out of context or not, one thing is certain — he’s lit the fuse for one of the fiercest rivalries in English football. Liverpool will be desperate for revenge when they next face Arsenal, and Van Dijk will have the perfect chance to respond the only way he knows how: with a commanding performance that shuts down the critics once and for all
