Virgil van Dijk vs Kepa Arrizabalaga: Liverpool star’s penalty was so cold

Virgil van Dijk was one of 11 Liverpool players who successfully converted past Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s in the penalty shoot-out that settled Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

The Reds took 11 superb spot-kicks in front of an 85,000-strong crowd at Wembley before Kepa, who was sent on specifically for the shoot-out in place of the impressive Edouard Mendy, missed the decisive penalty.

Mendy was arguably the final’s standout performer, pulling off a string of excellent saves over the course of 120 minutes, including a remarkable double save in the first half. But Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel felt Kepa was the better goalkeeper when it came to facing penalties and made a decision that ended up backfiring.

Kepa failed to save any of Liverpool’s 11 penalties, including Caoimhin Kelleher’s spot-kick.

The Spaniard, who infamously refused to come off the pitch in the 2019 Carabao Cup final, then stepped up himself and blazed the decisive penalty high over the crossbar.

Kepa’s mind-games during the shoot-out failed to have the desired effect.

Liverpool’s third penalty was taken by Van Dijk, who made a complete mockery of Kepa’s decision to stand towards his right post rather than in the middle of the goal.

Rather than shooting to Kepa’s left, where the space was, Van Dijk instead rifled an unstoppable shot to the Chelsea ‘keeper’s right.

Liverpool’s talismanic Dutch defender then produced a reaction that was just as cold as the penalty.

He continued to stare at Kepa as he walked back to the halfway line.

Watch the footage here:

This was a big alpha male move from Van Dijk. Kepa standing to one side, gets beaten on that side anyway. pic.twitter.com/DuZo9FcLAF

Van Dijk is too cool. He was never going to be