Chris Sutton has hailed Virgil van Dijk as the “best player in the world now” after a sensational first half of the season for Liverpool.
The Holland international continued his brilliant form with a masterful defensive display in the league leaders’ 2-0 win over Wolves on Friday night and also scored the second himself with a wonderful cushioned volley.
BT Sport pundit Sutton hailed Van Dijk as not only the outstanding player in the Premier League on the Saturday Morning Savage programme but “the best player in the world now”, adding in a discussion with fellow pundit Jermaine Jenas “who’s better than him?”
Best player in the Premier League?
"Virgil van Dijk, he's the best player in the world!"@chris_sutton73 with the highest of praise for the Liverpool defender…#SaturdaySav pic.twitter.com/eF6I75EnuC
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 22, 2018
OPINION
Better than Lionel Messi? No, no-one is. However, if Luka Modric can land the Ballon D’Or after his instrumental role for club and country this year, then why can’t Van Dijk do the same next year if he can make his second year in red as good as his first. Sutton loves hyperbolic and argument-provoking comments, which is what makes him such a listenable pundit, and there is certainly plenty of credence to his claim that Van Dijk’s current form is unmatched. Anywhere. The defender has been peerless in his position this season after transforming a leaky defence upon his January arrival from Southampton into a watertight one. He has started all 18 of Liverpool’s Premier League fixtures this season – they have let in a record-equalling seven goals at the pre-Christmas juncture – as well as all six of their Champions League games. There’s barely a top-level striker he hasn’t had in his pocket, from Kylian Mbappe to Sergio Aguero to Harry Kane. Messi may be the best around, but even the Spanish league’s 14-goal top scorer isn’t playing better than big Virg, right now.