Virgil van Dijk moment has just proven Liverpool point again as Jürgen Klopp decision pays off

Another stand-out Virgil van Dijk moment has proven an important Liverpool point once again which means Jürgen Klopp’s summer decision has already paid off.

Ever since Virgil van Dijk suffered that injury against Everton, there has been a prevailing myth that the Liverpool defender has started to ‘decline’. With Liverpool struggling last season, Jürgen Klopp’s side gave plenty of ammunition to fuel that sentiment but now a more clearer image is starting to emerge.

The reality is Van Dijk has never been in a decline. He was merely the victim of a Liverpool side that was poorly set up last season, particularly in midfield, and which left him exposed on a regular basis. Van Dijk may be an exceptional defender, but he is not superhuman, and at times last season in that system he was being asked to do too much.

With no protection in front of him in the midfield, Van Dijk could not thwart rapid counter-attacks on his own. Put any defender into that system and they would have struggled in the same way.

But now Klopp has addressed those problems at Liverpool, and as a result, fans are starting to see the reality of Van Dijk’s decline, or lack thereof, once again. All throughout the season, he has been praised for his performances, and his latest last-ditch tackle against Ireland while on international duty is rightly earning him a lot of praise.

That moment where Van Dijk speedily gets across to stick a toe in front of an Ireland forward who looked certain to score is an excellent depiction of the Liverpool defender in his prime. It is also a visual highlighter of what has been an incredible season for the Dutchman so far in terms of numbers.

So far this season, Van Dijk has won 72.5 per cent of his defensive duels as per Wyscout, ranking him in the top 10 in the Premier League. He’s also won a whopping 81.82 per cent of his aerial duels, which ranks him in the number one spot and his average of 9.24 adjusted interceptions puts him in second place among his positional peers. On top of that, no defender in the top six has made more clearances (54) than the Liverpool man as per FBref.

Van Dijk is simply among the best in every defensive metric, which is a level that can only be applied to a few other players in his position in the Premier League. His form right now is as good as it ever has been, and all of that serves as a timely reminder that the Liverpool defender is definitely not on a decline.

It’s also a justification for Klopp’s decision to make him the club captain. That added responsibility has also brought out a new level of confidence in the Liverpool man and his elevated performances this season could be attributed to having been handed the armband as well.

What’s clear is that Van Dijk is playing at world-class levels again. The numbers prove it, and his performances, too. And if that’s not enough just watch his brilliant tackle against Ireland and try to deny it.