There was a time when Virgil van Dijk vs Erling Haaland would have been billed as the world’s best defender going up against the best striker.
Even the most ardent Liverpool supporter would struggle to argue that the description is still applicable following a major drop off in Van Dijk’s form. He may not be at the top of his game defensively, but Van Dijk’s powers of foresight are working just fine.
“He will make defenders’ lives in England horrible.” That’s what the Dutchman said after going up against Haaland in the season-opening Community Shield. Van Dijk could not have predicted the extent to which Haaland has gone about doing that, though.
Haaland already has 20 goals in 13 Manchester City appearances heading into Sunday’s box-office meeting at Anfield. Players often talk of relishing the chance to test themselves against the very best, but the tide has turned so decisively that such platitudes are not apt any more. Instead the City striker is likely licking his lips, visualising how he is going to dominate the opposition and add to his goal tally.
A taste of what the pundits are saying ahead of the game shows the extent of Van Dijk’s dip. "Haaland looks like a modern robot and the question everyone will be asking this weekend is how can Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk deal with him?" former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness wrote in his Daily Mail column. "With difficulty, is the facile answer."
"Nobody is scared of Virgil van Dijk anymore,” Paul Merson added for the Daily Star. Van Dijk is a vastly experienced player who probably doesn’t need to read such comments to get motivated for his clash with Haaland.
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But he will listen to the words of Jurgen Klopp, who knows just how dangerous Haaland is and can be, if his players don’t work together to stop him.
"It's not like Haaland will go all the time for Virgil van Dijk, there will be another centre-half there, and he will probably choose that then," he told Sky Sports. "If Haaland was alone on the pitch you would still have to defend him, he's absolutely incredible. He's a monster in the best understanding.
"But with exceptional players around him, that's what makes it so special. How they set him up in those moments is really special. It's not possible to only mark Haaland and let the rest of Manchester City do what they want. If we do that, then we are screwed as well."
City are the Premier League's top scorers with 33 goals so far this season. Liverpool’s defence has conceded 12 goals – twice as many as at this stage last season – and has appeared porous and lacking in confidence.
Having grown so used to watching Van Dijk ease opposition strikers off the ball, be in the right position time and time again, win headers with a casual spring and turn on the afterburners to win footraces, this season has made strange viewing.
He cannot lay claim to the title of the world’s best defender any more. But Van Dijk won’t mind one bit if he keeps Haaland quiet and leads his side to the kind of morale-boosting victory required to kick-start Liverpool’s flagging season.
