Aston Villa favourite sends scathing message to 'arrogant' Liverpool star after Leeds scare

Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor was unimpressed with elements of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk's performance vs Leeds United

Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has branded Virgil van Dijk as 'arrogant' after Liverpool's Premier League scare against Leeds United.

Agbonlahor also said the centre-back is not up to the level of former top-flight stalwarts such as John Terry - now Villa's assistant head coach - or Rio Ferdinand as he analysed Liverpool's win on talkSPORT.

The reigning champions wobbled against newly-promoted Leeds, needing a late strike from hat-trick hero Mo Salah to claim a 4-3 win at Anfield.

Van Dijk, who scored the hosts' second goal, made an uncharacteristic error to allow Patrick Bamford to equalise in the first-half.

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"Everyone knows Virgil van Dijk is an unbelievable defender," Agbonlahor said. "On the ball he can switch the diagonals, and defensively no one wants to come up against him.

"But I felt yesterday's performance was, from Van Dijk, arrogant; that flick he made in the goal he gave away, it felt like 'we are playing Leeds United, it's going to be an easy game and I can let my standards drop.'

"And in that game, he did [let his standards drop]. Even Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right was poor defensively as well."

The ex-Villa Park favourite added: "Van Dijk is a great defender, and he will be one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game," the former striker added, "But when people start putting him in the Vincent Kompany and Rio Ferdinand bracket...

"I think people forget how good certain players were as time goes by. People forget how good Rio Ferdinand was in his prime; you wouldn't even want to go on the same side of the pitch as him!

"It was the same with Kompany, and John Terry as well; you just wouldn't want to take them on as you'd have no chance.

"Virgil van Dijk is an amazing defender, but you can't put him in that category of Rio Ferdinand and Vincent Kompany yet."