Garth Crooks has picked out Liverpool trio Georginio Wijnaldum, Virgil van Dijk, and Joel Matip for his Premier League team of the week, claiming that the latter left him “speechless”.
All three starred as the Reds put in a resolute display to see off Cardiff City 2-0 on Sunday, reclaiming their place at the top of the table in the process.
But it was unsung hero Matip who really caught Crooks’ eye.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “I don’t normally look beyond Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool’s back four when clean sheets have been maintained and matches won, but on this occasion I think I have to.
“Joel Matip was superb against Cardiff and overshadowed even the brilliant Van Dijk.
“Matip’s defending has been much more considered since the arrival of the Dutchman – but it’s the quality of his distribution that has left me speechless.”
OPINION
Matip can sometimes come in for a bit of a tough ride from Liverpool fans. The Cameroonian international isn’t always the most elegant of defenders, and his clumsy gait and past propensities for calamitous interventions have turned him into something of a figure of fun on the Kop. Or at least that was the case, up until this season. Drafted in to cover for the unburied Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren, Matip has stepped up to the plate and helped the Reds trudge on in their quest for a first title in 29 years. Playing alongside van Dijk can be a double-edged sword. On the one the hand, he seems to make anybody next to him look a level or two better than they actually are. On the other, he is still so good that his defensive partner ends up looking like the poor relation. That has been the case with Matip. He has improved significantly, but still comes in for criticism because, to be frank, he is not van Dijk. Hopefully that perception is starting to change.