Virgil van Dijk was the 'coolest man on the pitch' according to Garth Crooks - who named the defender in his BBC Sport Team of the Week after he helped Liverpool keep their 20th clean sheet of the Premier League season in the 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds were frustrated in the first half at Anfield and proceedings got heated as the period went on. But they eventually found the breakthrough in the second half thanks to headed efforts from Andy Robertson and substitute Divock Origi.
Liverpool are now just a point off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and will now turn their attentions to the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Villareal on Wednesday night. Van Dijk will be key once again to the their chances of success.
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After returning to fitness for the start of the season following an ACL injury suffered in October 2020, the captain of Holland has been in imperious form since his return.
"I really don't know what Liverpool would do without Virgil van Dijk," said Crooks in his BBC Sport column. "He was the only player who managed to keep his cool in the Merseyside derby when all around him seemed to be losing theirs. In another fractious affair between these two sides there was a moment when bookings were being thrown around by referee Stuart Attwell like confetti.
"As for Everton, their situation is quite straightforward for me. If they continue to play with the fight and commitment they showed against Liverpool, staying in the league will not be an issue. The problem for them is if they don't. As for Van Dijk, he was the coolest man on the pitch."
