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Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk has named former Chelsea and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud as the toughest opponent he has faced so far in his career.
The 1.92m tall Frenchman is known for his aerial ability and agility and has a strong shot on him. During his heyday, he was also one of the finest players on the ball with his back facing the opposition's goal.
Giroud can pass the ball well in tight spaces and is known for making intelligent runs into the box. All in all, the 37-year-old continues to be a tough opponent for centre-backs to mark. Van Dijk has now paid him the ultimate compliment.
The 2019 Ballon d'Or runner-up is widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs of this generation. In an interview with France Football (h/t Get Football News France), he said:
"I think that Olivier Giroud [is the toughest attacker I have played against]. Every time, you think you’ve got a hold of him, that you’ve got him well marked, but he always manages to score in one way or another: with his head, his foot, his knee. He has often scored against me (smiles)."
Van Dijk and Giroud have come up against each other 14 times for club and country, with the Frenchman scoring six times and providing an assist. Giroud spent a total of nine years in England until his permanent transfer to AC Milan in the summer of 2021.
During that time, the former Montpellier striker scored 144 goals and laid out 55 assists in 372 games combined for both English clubs. With 56 goals in 129 matches, he is also France's all-time top-scorer.
Liverpool and Arsenal are involved in a five-team Premier League title race
Both Liverpool and Arsenal boast a rich history in English football but have won just one Premier League title in the last two decades
The Gunners' last triumph came in the 2003-04 season under Arsene Wenger while the Reds' only league title since the competition was rebranded came in the 2019-20 campaign. Liverpool have finished in second by a single point a couple of times during the Jurgen Klopp-Pep Guardiola era.
Arsenal, meanwhile, lost the league title to the Cityzens by five points last season despite leading the table for a record 248 days. Both teams are now involved in a five-team title race which also includes surprise package Aston Villa, City, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool lead the proceedings with 45 points from 20 matches despite dropping four points in their last four league games. They hold a two-point lead over Manchester City and three ahead of the Villans.
Arsenal lie fourth in the table with 40 points, having dropped eight points in their last three Premier League matches. They are followed by Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur, who trail their north London rivals by a single point.
