The impressive defender stood out with a stellar performance on Tuesday.
Liverpool went top of the Premier League, at least until Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor on Boxing Day on Thursday. Goals from Darwin Nunes and Diogo Yota secured all three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side in an impressive display from the Reds.
In the 6th minute of the first half, Nuñez perfectly found the bottom right corner from the edge of the penalty area. Jota sealed victory in the 90th minute with a fine finish at the near post from an assist by Luis Diaz.
Cody Gakpo was impressive as a starter in the centre, but the real hero for Klopp on Tuesday was Virgil van Dijk. The performance of each weapon against Burnley can be seen in the numbers.The Dutch striker started the game with an assist on Núñez’s first goal.
He ran down the left, held onto the ball well and fired past the Uruguayan international from 20 yards. The Liverpool centre-forward was also unlucky to be fouled by the referee after fouling James Trafford inside the penalty area.
Replays showed Nunes had no contact with Charlie Taylor, but VAR refused to review. Gakpo completed 5 of 8 dribble attempts throughout the game and completed 93% (13 of 14) of his pass attempts in 67 minutes on the court.
It was a brilliant and dynamic performance from the former PSV star, but Liverpool captain Van Dijk was outstanding in the heart of defence.
Van Dijk’s performance against Burnley can be seen in the numbersLiverpool didn’t score their second goal of the game until Jota’s strike in the 90th minute, meaning Burnley were on the verge of taking a point for most of the game.
This meant that the Reds’ defense had to be on their toes and a lapse in concentration could have cost them a valuable win at Turf Moor. Van Dijk assured Alisson he was in no trouble as he produced a superb performance to keep the home side at bay.
Burnley finished the game without a single shot on target and the former Southampton man’s superb defensive efforts played a decisive role. The experienced giant showed his physicality, winning 100% (8/8) of his duels throughout the contest, including seven aerial battles.
Van Dijk also made six clearances and an interception, while none of Liverpool’s other defenders made a clearance. He has incredible defense to match. The centre-back completed 93% of pass attempts (97/104) and 6 of 9 long ball attempts with a dribbling success rate of 100% (1/1).
These stats show that the Liverpool captain kept the ball firmly at his feet and dominated as opponents tried to get past him to prevent Alisson’s goal.
He was therefore Klopp’s real hero as he maintained his side’s 1-0 lead with a superb defensive performance and ensured they did not concede the game late on.
