Liverpool marched to the Etihad in the context of being only 1 point behind top team Man City. And the revival of midfielder Virgil van Dijk is the key to The Kop.
This time last season, Virgil van Dijk had started 21/22 matches for Liverpool and was preparing to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That tournament, the 32-year-old midfielder played every possible minute during the Dutch team’s journey to the quarter-finals.
Van Dijk’s only break in the chaotic second half of Liverpool’s season was due to a hamstring injury in January. In that time, he had started 91 matches in less than 18 months for club and country. All of that happened after a serious knee injury.
It’s no surprise that Van Dijk’s hamstrings have weakened or his form has dropped to what the centre-back described last week as “mediocre, sometimes even bad”.
The intensity of competition at Liverpool is too great. Van Dijk returned from injury and helped The Kop reach the threshold of winning 4 in the 2021-2022 season. However, the workload took a heavy toll. Only now, three years after his injury, can the 32-year-old player regain his form.
“My injury is very serious,” Van Dijk said last week. “It’s not surprising that you have to get used to your knees again, so to speak. But now I don’t pay attention to that anymore. I feel like I can do anything.”
At this time last season, Liverpool were ranked 9th in the Premier League, 15 points behind the top team. Now, they are ranked 2nd, only 1 point behind top team Manchester City. And if considered according to many specific indicators, even The Kop deserves to be the leading team.
Liverpool’s strong return this season has a lot to do with the scoring form of the attackers, but Van Dijk also plays an important role. A player who seemed to have lost his glory last season is dominating again.
With leader Van Dijk, Liverpool has only lost once in the Premier League this season. They only conceded 10 goals – the fewest in the tournament along with Arsenal. A 3-0 win over Brentford before November’s FIFA Days brought home their third clean sheet in four matches.
Van Dijk always appears in important matches, but his total playing time is being managed skillfully. The Dutch midfielder has yet to play a single minute in the Europa League this season.
That helps the 32-year-old player always maintain good form and physical foundation. The Dutch centre-back may not have the explosive pace of previous years, but his direct marking ability is back.
According to Opta, Van Dijk is winning 80.5% of duels and an even higher rate (82.3%) with aerial duels.No player in the Premier League this season has won duels at such a high rate. This also represents a significant change compared to last season, especially when Van Dijk was passed 11 times – his worst number ever.
Up to now this season, Van Dijk is the only regular starting centre-back in the Premier League who has not been dribbled past – an achievement reminiscent of the 2018-2019 season.
Sometimes Van Dijk still makes mistakes, specifically the foul on Aleksandar Isak that got him sent off in the win over Newcastle in August. Or the errant pass that helped Brighton score the opening goal in a 2-2 draw. 2 at Amex Stadium in October.
But overall, Van Dijk is meeting expectations once again and that is no mean achievement given the standards he has set.
Van Dijk is bringing all of that as Liverpool’s captain. Recent evidence suggests that inheriting the captaincy from Jordan Henderson is more of a help than a hindrance.
The upcoming trip to Etihad will be an important test for Liverpool. Van Dijk will be an important factor if The Kop wants to win a good result.