Darren Bent has hailed Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk for his contribution against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Reds had to dig deep to record a 2-1 win over the Eagles and maintain an eight point lead at the top of the Premier League table, and Sky Sports pundit Bent liked what he saw fro the towering Dutchman.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He is class, brilliant, and in games like that which are nitty-gritty, you need your defenders to stand up and be counted.
“He reads the game really really well, he puts his body on the line and he is a world class defender so when you have a game like that, you need your real leaders to step up and take charge and yesterday [Saturday] was a prime example of that.
“I don’t think Liverpool were at their very best, but when you have players and defenders like that, you don’t necessarily have to be to win games.”
OPINION
It’s hard to remember Virgil van Dijk ever having a bad game for Liverpool, and he looked as impressive as ever against Crystal Palace this weekend. Make no mistake, this was no cakewalk for the Reds, but the fact that they are able to dig deep in these situations and snatch victory from the jaws of disappointment show that they have the mettle and the talent to go all the way this term. For his part, van Dijk made a massive 10 clearances, as per Whoscored, and was rewarded with a match rating of 7.68. He also won five aerials and had a pass completion rate of 92.9%, his second-highest of the season to date, in a measured and assured performance. When we get to May and the beans are counted, these will be the matches where the Premier League title is won or lost, so to have somebody like van Dijk in your corner is a massive, massive bonus. He could be the edge the Reds need.
