The Liverpool captain has been in fantastic form after a period where questions were raised about his form slipping. The Dutchman suffered a serious injury in the Merseyside derby in October 2020, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Many criticized him for not reaching his former level in later years.According to WhoScored, Van Dijk appears to have brushed off his critics as he is once again confirmed as the only defender in the league yet to dribble in the 2023/2024 season. ? Of the 49 centre-backs who have played in five Premier League games this season, only Virgil van Dijk has not dribbled past him. pic.twitter.com/8B5B1hTNFR— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 6, 2023The stats show that the 32-year-old is the only centre-back out of 49 players in the Premier League to have played at least five games this season, but still has zero in that category. Famous defenders who have failed to achieve this feat include William Saliba (1), Miki van de Ven (2), Thiago Silva (4) and Manuel Akanji (6), but my personal favorite is butcher Lisandro Martinez. . (Seven)!It brings back memories of Van Dijk falling for pictures with his players inexplicably staring at the ball passed to him by opposition fans.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has praised the defender’s recent form, calling him “the old Virgil”, while stressing that his leadership qualities can still be improved. “He went through a difficult period. In the last international game, I thought he was the old Virgil again,” Koeman told Ziggo Sport. “But I still think he can do better. One criticism is that he could be more of a leader. But the communication between us is very good.
There could be a sense of déjà vu in the Premier League as prominent stats suggest Virgil van Dijk could return to his best form for Manchester United this season.
