Center Back: Virgil van Dijk
Klopp had no hesitation throwing Virgil van Dijk into the lineup last Friday. He had less than a week of training with his new team mates but Klopp backed the Dutchman’s talent and instincts to get the job done. And did he!
Ninety minutes of top-level defending was topped off with the winning goal in a Merseyside FA Cup derby in front of a rapturous Kop. This would have been exactly how he dreamt it the night before.
Van Dijk has already played Man City for Southampton. The Saints played a back three and van Dijk was the middle of the center backs. They defended stoutly that day and were unlucky to lose to a late Raheem Sterling winner.
Liverpool paid a world record fee for a defender for him to help them win games like these. The City squad is one of the most expensively assembled in history. Liverpool need to prove that their record signing can help them compete.
Breaking Man City’s season-long unbeaten streak would be a nice way for van Dijk to make his league debut for Liverpool.