This time final season, Virgil van Dijk had began 21 out of twenty-two video games for Liverpool and was about to journey to the World Cup in Qatar, the place he would play each minute of the Netherlands’ run to the final eight, culminating in a penalty shootout loss to Argentina.
His solely break within the second half of a chaotic marketing campaign again at Liverpool got here on account of a hamstring harm in January. At that time, he had began a staggering 91 video games in underneath 18 months for membership and nation. All that off the again of a serious knee harm.
It’s little surprise his hamstring gave out, or that his kind dipped to a degree he described final week as “mediocre, sometimes even bad”. Most gamers are eased again into motion after an anterior cruciate ligament harm just like the one he suffered in 2020. Not Van Dijk.
Liverpool’s want was too nice. He responded by serving to them to the brink of a historic quadruple in 2021/22. However the workload took a heavy toll. It is just now, three years on from the harm, that the 32-year-old is trying extra like his outdated self once more.
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Highlights from Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford
“My injury was very serious,” he added final week. “It is not surprising that you have to get to know your knee again, so to speak. But now I don’t notice it anymore. I haven’t had to change much in my way of playing. I feel like I can do everything again.”
It seems that method too. At this level of final season, Liverpool had been languishing ninth within the desk, 15 factors off the summit. Now, they’re second, just one level behind leaders Manchester Metropolis with underlying numbers to recommend they need to the truth is be prime.
It has lots to do with their free-scoring assault however Van Dijk has performed an important position too. A participant who appeared to have misplaced his aura at occasions final season is dominating once more – and that is regardless of the continued points round midfield stability forward of him. “Things have been going very well again since the summer,” he added.
Together with his assist, Liverpool have solely misplaced as soon as within the Premier League this season. They’ve solely conceded 10 targets – the joint-fewest within the division together with Arsenal. The three-0 win over Brentford earlier than the worldwide break introduced a 3rd clear sheet in 4 video games.
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Van Dijk has been current all through that run however his general enjoying time is being managed in a method it wasn’t beforehand. He’s but to play a single minute within the Europa League. In truth, he has not even been included within the squad for 2 of their 4 group video games.
That relaxation is preserving him recent for the larger assignments and a deeper take a look at the numbers underlines his dominance. The Dutchman will not be fairly as explosively fast as in his earlier years, however hardly ever has he been this troublesome to beat.
In accordance with Opta, he’s profitable 80.5 per cent of his duels and a good increased proportion – 82.3 per cent – of his aerials, growing from 69.5 per cent and 73.7 per cent respectively final season.
No participant within the Premier League is profitable such a excessive proportion of duels. It is just a 10-game pattern, in fact, however his present success charge is increased than in any of his earlier campaigns too.
It represents a dramatic change from final season particularly, when Van Dijk was dribbled previous 11 occasions – his highest-ever complete.
Thus far this season, he’s the one regularly-starting centre-back within the competitors who has not but been dribbled previous as soon as – a feat paying homage to his sensational 2018/19 marketing campaign.
There have been occasional lapses, specifically the last-man foul on Aleksandar Isak which noticed him despatched off within the win over Newcastle in August and the misjudged move from which Brighton scored their opening aim within the 2-2 draw on the Amex Stadium in October.
However the general image is considered one of a participant who has regained his sharpness. It may be seen in possession in addition to out of it. Van Dijk is finishing the next charge of passes over brief and lengthy distances. His possession losses have dropped by almost 20 per cent.
He’s assembly expectations once more and that’s no imply feat given the requirements he has set and the context by which he’s doing it. “Being a centre-back at a top club has never been harder,” wrote Jamie Carragher in his Each day Telegraph column in October.
“It has become the most demanding position on the pitch… You need the pace of an attacker and the technical ability of a midfielder alongside every other asset.”
Van Dijk is bringing all of that and has taken on much more duty within the type of Liverpool’s captaincy. Current proof suggests inheriting the armband from Jordan Henderson has been a assist slightly than a hindrance. He sees it the identical method.
“There is a lot involved, perhaps even more at the club than with the national team,” he added final week. “But it doesn’t have a negative impact on my game. It is more of an incentive.”
Virgil van Dijk was named Liverpool’s new membership captain in the summertime
He has already steered the squad by means of troublesome moments, together with the unprecedented kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s mother and father, whereas additionally offering steering to Liverpool’s younger gamers, together with their rising centre-back Jarell Quansah, who has described enjoying with Van Dijk as “24-7 learning”.
The sensation amongst his team-mates is that he has adjusted to the captaincy seamlessly. “Seeing him take it on so well has been really impressive,” mentioned Joe Gomez in a latest interview with Sky Sports activities. “He will impose himself, speak to us and shout at us if he needs to.”
It’s simply one other method by which he’s serving to and it’s clear he’s in a greater place mentally in addition to bodily. Van Dijk in contrast his ACL harm to his “world collapsing” final season. There have been powerful occasions subsequently with each his membership and his nation.
However all that’s behind him now and Liverpool are feeling the advantages.
Saturday’s journey to the Etihad Stadium will take a look at their title credentials. Their points in midfield demand warning. However they’re there, solely a degree off the tempo. And that’s thanks largely to Van Dijk.
