OPINION
Tottenham striker Harry Kane knows that he has got to be on his best form to get anything from Liverpool’s talisman of a centre back Virgil van Dijk – but the same cannot be said for whoever partners the Dutchman.
The unstoppable force of the England star comes up against the immovable object of the Netherlands powerhouse on Sunday when Anfield plays host to Spurs but instead of trying to beat the former Southampton man, Kane might have been hedging his bets on overcoming Joel Matip instead.
The colossus defender was van Dijk’s partner against Fulham in their last league outing but did not appear on the same wavelength as the man next to him with a number of uncharacteristic errors at the back for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Add into the equation Matip’s lack of mobility – relying on his pure physicality to dominate attackers – and Kane would have been feeling pretty confident at finding a way to stick the ball into the back of the net.
How his heart must have sunk on Friday then when he saw Joe Gomez back in training for the Reds.
The Daily Mail posted pictures behind-the-scenes at Melwood of the 21-year-old alongside his teammates in what will be a big boost for Klopp – and a worry for Kane.
Simply put, Gomez is a different level of defender in comparison to Matip and there is a reason he is the first choice partner for van Dijk when fully fit.
Strong, mobile and with the ability to read the game well beyond his years, Kane would face a tough enough battle against his international teammate alone – add van Dijk to the mix and you have got one of the best centre back partnerships in Europe.
The Tottenham man might have been hoping to notch a goal against a Liverpool defence who have shown their frailties recently – Gomez’s return will have him thinking twice.
