Virgil van Dijk has been named in Troy Deeney’s Premier League team of the week after Liverpool’s dramatic 1-0 win away at Nottingham Forest, and it’s a timely boost as we return to Anfield to face West Ham United on Saturday.
The Netherlands international played the full 90 minutes at the City Ground and ended up being central to us surviving a hectic first half before Alexis Mac Allister’s late winner sealed the points.
Deeney’s selection was published by BBC Sport, with the former Premier League striker offering both praise and a wider verdict on where Van Dijk sits among the division’s great centre-backs.
“People have been questioning whether he or John Terry is the better Premier League centre-back. For me, Van Dijk is just a Rolls-Royce and the two of them go in the same category.”
Deeney also linked Van Dijk’s organisation to our wider defensive structure this season.
“He delivers all the time and has started to make Milos Kerkez look better with his organisation. It was a tough game against Forest but he stood up and delivered.”
Van Dijk’s Forest numbers show why Deeney picked him
Van Dijk’s display was not about headline moments as much as control, positioning and problem-solving, especially with Forest asking constant questions in the first half.
Here is a snapshot of the key data from Sofascore:
| Metric | Van Dijk total |
|---|---|
| Sofascore rating | 7.2 |
| Clearances | 5 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Blocked shots | 1 |
| Recoveries | 2 |
| Aerial duels (won) | 7 (3) |
| Accurate passes | 68/74 (92%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 7/9 (78%) |
| Touches | 82 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| xG | 0.13 |
Those passing numbers matter because our No.4 is not just defending his own box, he’s also steering us into the right areas of the pitch when games get frantic, and that was exactly the type of afternoon it became at Forest.
What it means for Liverpool ahead of West Ham at Anfield
The bigger context is that the league table is still brutally tight in the top-four race, with us sixth on 45 points after 27 games and level with Chelsea, making momentum priceless.
With our captain being proven as the greatest ball winner in the league and Arne Slot stating how vital the 34-year-old is for our success, it’s no surprise to see him credited with another great performance.
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