BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has been gushing over the performances of Liverpool defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
The 21-year-old grabbed both assists for Van Dijk’s two goals in the 2-1 victory over Graham Potter’s side, and Crooks was left very impressed by the youngster.
“I don’t think I have seen a young lad with the ability to place a dead ball precisely where he wants it to go – and with such quality – since Glenn Hoddle,” he wrote on the BBC Sport website. “His two assists for Virgil van Dijk were just out of this world. The problem with free-kicks, and corners of course, is a defence can do very little about how they are taken. This local lad is proving to be a bit special.”
And on Van Dijk: “We’ve seen Virgil van Dijk marshal his defence with grace and tackle like a steam train when needed but I have never seen him score two headers like a striker before.
“The way he took his second goal from another beautifully delivered Alexander-Arnold ball was superb. John Toshack couldn’t have put the ball into the net any better. Brighton were 2-0 down before they had time to draw breath.”
OPINION
Crooks is absolutely spot on in his assessment of the two Liverpool defenders – they were absolutely magnificent on Saturday. On a day when the Reds strikers weren’t really firing, it was this duo that stepped up. Two gorgeous Alexander-Arnold deliveries were dutifully dispatched by Van Dijk, and Brighton couldn’t hope with either the crossing of the former or the aerial prowess of the latter. This is why Liverpool are so good, because they have players who can step up at any moment. The two full backs are superb, there’s terrific strength in depth in central midfield, while the front three are sensational. Plus, they have a quality number two like Adrian who can come on when Alisson gets sent off for a daft incident like he did on Saturday. It’s going to take something very special to stop them lifting their first league title in 30 years, that’s for sure.
