Liverpool’s star player was Mo Salah, whose brace against Everton gave the Reds a 2-0 victory and temporarily put them atop the Premier League.
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Dominik Szoboszlai and others also created some exciting moments that would have gotten the Anfield crowd going, but Virgil van Dijk stands out for his important contribution while possibly flying under the public’s notice.
The LFC defense wasn’t particularly taxed because the Toffees played with just six shots entire day and were down to 10 men for more than half of the game.
Statistics from Sofascore show that the Liverpool skipper still performed admirably when Sean Dyche’s squad questioned their opponents.
The 32-year-old engaged in 17 duels, winning 12 of them (more than any other player in red), admirably enduring Dominic Calvert-Lewin and later Beto’s roughness. The defensive job he did was impressive, but he also made two tackles and a team-high five clearances.
Van Dijk completed 94 of his 104 passes, connected with a teammate on six of his long balls (more than any other Reds player in both categories), and made one crucial pass.
The Liverpool captain has had a fantastic week, scoring a stoppage time winner for his country on Monday, and putting on a quiet masterpiece in today’s derby victory—despite having to fend off countless doubters in England and the Netherlands during the past year.
It’s difficult to disagree with Jamie Carragher, a Bootle native, who said in The Telegraph on Friday that Van Dijk’s contribution to the Reds this season thus far had been mostly “overlooked.”
Ask Klopp or any LFC player to assess the captain’s performance today, and they’ll tell you that he was an unsung hero of our most recent victory over Everton. Salah will understandably garner the headlines after his latest match-winning brace, but ask Klopp or any LFC player to examine the captain’s performance today.
