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#2 Water-tight defence
Virgil Van Dijk arrived at Liverpool in January for a reportedly mindboggling fee of £75 million, amid much hype and revelry. 3 and a half months later, he has all but validated not just the price tag, but also the hype.
It's astonishing how the presence of one man can make as much difference as Van Dijk has made to Liverpool's backline. Remember the time period mentioned in the previous slide? It's no coincidence that it began shortly after the Dutchman's arrival.
The 26-year-old hasn't just been spectacular himself but has also seemingly rejuvenated the entire backline, suddenly making Liverpool's defence seem impregnable.
Last night was no different, as Bournemouth tried all they could but little wriggled past the defence. Liverpool's back-4, consisting of Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Dejan Lovren and Trent Alexander-Arnold made a combined total of 9 crucial tackles and 5 key passes, allowing nothing past them.
While Liverpool fans will rue the latency in Van Dijk's arrival and the subsequent delay in building a solid defence, the UEFA Champions League still hangs in the balance, and more importantly, Jurgen Klopp is certainly going to be a hugely optimistic manager ahead of next season.
