During the first half of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Saturday, Virgil van Dijk shuffled towards the left side of the penalty area to receive a short pass from Alisson. Eddie Howe’s side sensed an opportunity.
Allan Saint-Maximin converged on the Dutchman from his right, with Miguel Almirón closing him down head-on. For a moment, it looked like a precarious situation.
But Van Dijk navigated it with ease, nicking the ball through a gap between the two black and white shirts, before offloading to Andy Robertson. Liverpool were out.
The centre-back had recently enjoyed a lengthy conversation with BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, who was struck by his level of confidence. “There’s a time in your career where you feel invincible,” the Manchester United legend said. “He’s in that space now.”
Van Dijk’s calm navigation of the pincer move epitomised his self-belief. And the arrogance is justifiable when you consider his array of attributes.
As a centre-half, he is the perfect physical specimen. He’s clocked the fourth-highest top speed in the Liverpool squad in this season’s Champions League and has matched the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland stride-for-stride when faced with a daunting foot race. What’s more, he possesses the kind of strength that enables him to shrug off attackers when they dare take him on, or simply overpower them in aerial duels.
Athleticism isn’t everything, of course. There are plenty of centre-backs who are pacey and powerful but lack the defensive acumen to establish themselves as elite. Van Dijk, on the other hand, boasts an unparalleled ability to not only read the game but also read his opponent. He’s previously explained that, rather than instinctively watching the ball in a one-vs-one duel, he instead stares into the eyes of the forward. He regards their eye movements as the ultimate tell, and is very rarely deceived.
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