Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk gave away a rare penalty against Fulham last week which goes to prove the latest tackling theory correct.
The Reds stumbled to an opening game draw with newly promoted Fulham in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
However, van Dijk, who rarely puts a foot wrong, was guilty of bringing down Aleksandr Mitrovic in the box which resulted in Fulham going 2-1 up.
The latest statistics reveal that the penalty is a prime example of why Premier League defenders don’t tackle in the box anymore.
For the first time since joining Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk has been dribbled past by an opponent AND conceded a penalty in a single Premier League game.
Aleksandar Mitrović is responsible for both. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HGt6pOy56f
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 6, 2022
Defenders don’t tackle in the box anymore
Yes – the latest statistics from the Athletic reveal that PL defenders no longer look to tackle in the box.
This is a trend we’ve seen over 10 years which has shown a huge decrease in ‘tackle attempts per opponent touch in the defending team’s box’ since the 2009/10 season.
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has broken down the situation, using Van Dijk’s foul as an example:
“Most defenders, and especially Van Dijk, don’t really want to make a tackle,” says the former Manchester City defender. “Tackling in the box is something you especially want to avoid.”
Was Virgil van Dijk's challenge on Aleksandar Mitrovic a clear penalty?! 💬 pic.twitter.com/OJeSfyd260
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 8, 2022
There are a few reasons for this; with the introduction of VAR in 2020, players are now more hesitant to engage with players – especially in the box.
The error was also very uncharacteristic of Van Dijk, as he averages 0.64 tackles per 90, putting him in the second-lowest percentile when compared to fellow centre-backs (FbRef).
However, despite the stats showing the latest trends, according to Onouha, you can’t let the striker build up a head of steam and control the attack.
“If you don’t get out to the attacker quickly enough they can control the attack,” says Onuoha.
“They might be able to run at you from 10 yards and build a head of steam, which you don’t want.”
