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"Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles." Sir Alex Ferguson is one among the greats who changed the shape of English football and took Manchester United to unprecedented glory. With time, football evolves like everything else in this world but his wise and famous remark still stays true to this day. This is more evident for Liverpool in this current 2018/19 as they are edging closer to the much coveted Premier League trophy with each win.
It is certainly a great end to the year 2018 from Jurgen Klopp's red army as they thrashed Arsenal 5-1 in their last encounter. They are merrily sitting at the top of the 2018/19 Premier League standings, with 54 points from 20 games and seven points clear of Manchester City.
What is truly astonishing is the mere fact that Liverpool conceded only eight goals in the Premier League campaign so far in 20 games. They are yet to lose a match in the league and continuing their unbeaten run in the most spectacular way possible.
Liverpool had great players in the past, yet, they came up short. Even when they scored and terrorized the opponent teams with their extraordinary attacking trident, they came up short as there were major holes at the back. When Klopp arrived, he made centre-back signing a priority and bought Virgil van Dijk.
Things have been way different with the arrival of Virgil van Dijk at Anfield. Though there were criticisms about the huge transfer fee paid for a centre-back, Virgil van Dijk has lived up to every penny paid and more. The marked improvement in Liverpool's defense is due to his monstrous presence at the back.
One of the strongest criticisms against Liverpool's defense was that their inability to defend set pieces. With his calmness and enormous presence, Van Dijk quickly made his presence known with no-nonsense defending. In the past, it seemed that the Liverpool team were troubled whenever they defended a slender lead but now they are more comfortable due to the assurance of Van Dijk at the back.
Virgil van Dijk has a superior aerial ability and his composure and calmness are phenomenal. But the best thing about Van Dijk is probably his intelligence on the pitch. His impeccable timing, exquisite positioning sense, and wise decision making separate him from the rest. He knows when to slide in, where to position himself to head the ball away or how to pick up forwards from defensive situations.
Moreover, he is a leader who doesn't shy away from making tough choices at the back yet hasn't put a foot wrong with Liverpool. He is the undisputed leader of Liverpool's defense and even the young defenders like Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander Arnold finds it comfortable playing beside him. This may be the deal of the decade for Liverpool and if they want to continue their splendid run, Virgil van Dijk will surely remain the most valuable piece of the puzzle.
