Virgil van Dijk has been a cornerstone of Liverpool’s success since he arrived in 2018 and he was a man for the big moment again on Sunday, even if it was to make up for a rare error!
The 33-year-old is expected to have a new contract to announce in the coming week, and his winner against West Ham underlined his importance and why he is the perfect captain for this club.
Three minutes before powering a header into the back of the net, Van Dijk had his head in his hands after a mix-up between himself and Andy Robertson allowed West Ham to equalise.
• READ: Van Dijk corrects reporter’s claim on the most important thing this week
But testament to his character and ability in the air, he made sure Liverpool walked away with a win that moves them to within six points of officially being crowned Premier League champions.
And history proves that once his header hit the back of the net, the result was never in doubt.
As per Opta’s Michael Reid, Liverpool have won all 14 games at Anfield that Van Dijk has scored in, the most games won when on the scoresheet of any player in club history.
From that winner on debut against Everton to now, what a journey it has been!
Moreover, the captain has now scored the most headed goals by a defender in the Premier League (18), overtaking John Terry (17). You love to see it.
Van Dijk dialed in
Perhaps it should not have been a surprise Van Dijk got on the end of Alexis Mac Allister‘s corner delivery, as he was dialling in his aerial range throughout the match.
As per FotMob, the captain won all four aerial duels he contested (100%), more than any other player, and finished with the most touches (80) and best passing accuracy (95%).
He had the second-most passes into the final third of any player on the pitch (11), behind only Lucas Paqueta (15), and the fifth-most touches (three) in West Ham‘s box of any Liverpool player.
Van Dijk’s celebration at the Kop-end emphasised the significance of the moment for him and the club, a telling influence ahead of an expected announcement that his future remains at Anfield.
“I can tell you I’m very proud today to captain my 100th [league] game for Liverpool,” Van Dijk said post-match. “It was an emotional day because of the Hillsborough anniversary.
“The main focus was to get three points and get a step closer to all of our dreams, not only us as players and staff but everyone connected to Liverpool FC. That’s the main thing.
“Everyone knows how much I love this club and let’s see what next week will look like.”
Here’s to more Van Dijk winners!
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