Arsene Wenger has said that it’s hard to find a weak point in Virgil van Dijk’s game, although he did say he believes the Liverpool centre-back has even more to deliver.
Talking on beIN SPORTS, Wenger said, “What is interesting with him is that you feel there is more in him than what he does.
“Sometimes you think, ‘Come on’. He’s very good in one against one… it’s difficult to find a weak point in his game.”
Van Dijk signed for Liverpool from Southampton for £76m and is on a reported salary of £180,000-a-week.
More to give?
If van Dijk has even more to give, it’s a frightening prospect for attackers.
As Wenger said, he’s exceptional in one-on-one situations, a fact that was highlighted in this season’s Community Shield when he was dribbled past for the first time in 65 games by Gabriel Jesus.
That’s a stunning achievement that highlights how good he was last season and he won the 18/19 UEFA Champions League defender of the season for his efforts at both ends of the pitch.
He scored two goals (against Porto and Bayern Munich) and added two assists in the Champions League and notched four goals in the Premier League.
Liverpool had the best defensive record in the Premier League last season, conceding just 22 goals in 38 games.
Taking the Premier League and the Champions League last season, van Dijk boasted an 83.5% success rate on an average of 87.09 total actions per 90 minutes. [WyScout]
His pass success rate was 92% and he won a monstrous 76.1% of his defensive duels.
He also made 5.38 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per 90 minutes and won 63.6% of his aerial duels.
He’s rightly seen as one of the best centre-backs in the world, if not the best, and has started this season in the same vein.
Has he got more to give? That would be asking some but at 28-years-old he’s at the peak of his career and will be hoping to steer Liverpool towards their first-ever Premier League title this season. That would surely be the peak of an already brilliant career.