Former Premier League winner Martin Keown has heaped praise on Liverpool centre half Virgil van Dijk after his moment of magic on Sunday.
The 27-year-old produced a sublime bit of defending in the second half of his team’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, cleverly defusing a two-on-one situation for Spurs.
Keown was very impressed: “This game swung Liverpool’s way the moment Virgil van Dijk did just enough to force Moussa Sissoko to blaze over the bar when clean through on goal,” he wrote for the Daily Mail. “It was a magnificent piece of defending. You will not find it in any coaching manual.
“What sets Van Dijk apart is the way he thinks clearly in the most pressurised moments. His smart, instinctive thinking in the heat of battle earned Liverpool a crucial win.”
OPINION
Keown is bang on the money, here. It may have been a Toby Alderweireld that technically secured Liverpool the three points on Sunday, but it was Van Dijk’s intervention which kept them in the game and ensured they were in a position to go and win the game late on at Anfield. It was wonderful defending in a situation that looked disastrous for the Reds. Sissoko was charging forward with Son Heung-min in support of him, with only Van Dijk back for Jurgen Klopp’s team. Despite being in a horrible situation, though, it was the Dutchman who came out on top. He held his ground between the two players, forcing the less-adept attacker Sissoko to go it alone and blaze his effort over the bar. He used unbelievable intelligence and presence of mind to prevent what would have been a heart-breaking Tottenham goal. It was another moment which proved beyond any doubt that Van Dijk is the world’s premier defender.
