Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk makes the art of defending look easy at times, and the way he slid in on Dele Alli to prevent a goalscoring chance against Spurs at the weekend was a case in point.
After tracking the Tottenham star back, he then made a precision tackle to win the ball. Supporters on Twitter have been running out of superlatives for the Dutchman:
This is why he is one of the best
— Dave Foxy (@thebeardedguy91) January 12, 2020
Colossal
— Iver (@Iversev2) January 12, 2020
a man playing with kids
its almost too easy— Bravo (@theblackk_jesus) January 12, 2020
Another angle showing Dele Alli stunned face! pic.twitter.com/HAlUJjZQ5g
— ☥ ??? ???????? ??? ☥ (@TheEgyptianKop) January 12, 2020
Best out there⚽️
— kade stevens (@kade_stevens) January 12, 2020
Best in the world ?
— no ifs buts and maybes (@lfcheartt) January 12, 2020
Calm as you like.
— London Titan (@LondonTitan) January 12, 2020
Brilliant tackle
— MENTALITY MONSTERS (@RevivedDanny) January 12, 2020
Like a Dutch brick wall
— Ed (@pedal_pushin_ed) January 12, 2020
Van Dijk’s calmness is one of his standout traits. His ability to think clearly in one-on-one duels and make the intervention at the right time is what makes him one of the world’s best defenders.
A diving tackle in the penalty area is usually very unwise, but with van Dijk, you are never that worried that he’ll make a mistake
That assuredness spreads throughout the defence and the rest of team, and it has certainly helped Liverpool improve their defensive record over the past two years. In their last 59 league games, the Reds have conceded just 36 goals.