During this final international break of the season, Premier League teams like Manchester City and Liverpool are preparing for their matchday 13 encounter. Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp have devised strategies to counter the opposition, but they primarily trust the Reds’ strong defensive play from captain Virgil van Dijk to thwart the Citizens’ offensive attacks, which are primarily spearheaded by Norwegian Erling Haaland.
The deployment of Virgil van Dijk, who has been reliable during these competitive months, is one of Liverpool’s strongest points, as manager Jürgen Klopp knows. A few highlights of the Dutchman’s play have given Manchester City an idea of what to expect on match day.
Van Dijk’s last game against Brentford showcased many of his many skills, including his spectacular vision that allows him to run comfortably down the flanks, interceptions that drop at the feet of his teammates, multiple anticipations of the opposition, and good fluency in the opponent’s box for headers. The Dutchman’s convincing performance makes him the best in his position by far.
Van Dijk’s primary goal against City may be to minimise the threat aimed at Erling Haaland, since the Norwegian striker is Guardiola’s best asset and should be exploited for the entire 90 minutes.
Van Dijk is on a crucial Reds’ mission
Van Dijk has had an amazing comeback in a short period of time, but he also needs to take on more and more responsibilities within the team after being named captain. He needs to play a great role on the pitch and mentor the younger players, as well as understand this new role within the team that will make him one of the best captains in recent memory based on these results. It is crucial that he be able to lead an entire institution to the top of the titles they can still challenge today.
