22 January 2024 , 08:32
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Jamie Carragher has hailed "outstanding" Virgil van Dijk and believes the Liverpool centre-back has been back to his best as the Reds mount a Premier League title challenge this season.
Jurgen Klopp's side moved five points clear at the top of the table following their 4-0 victory over Bournemouth on Sunday. Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez both scored a brace as they earned their fifth successive win and got the business done after Arsenal and Manchester City both won.
Given Bournemouth's up-turn in form in recent months, it felt like a gigantic victory for Liverpool and Van Dijk was pivotal to helping them over the line. The Dutchman impressed alongside Ibrahima Konate in central defence and Carragher heaped praise on Van Dijk after the match.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Carragher said: "Last season, it wasn't just about him, we were looking at a team that was essentially coming to their end. No matter how good you are as a defender, and he is one of the best we've ever seen, certainly in a Liverpool shirt, you need protection.
"People in front of you, and Liverpool's midfield had just run out of steam - they'd been absolutely amazing for Liverpool but they had to be moved on. He'd played more minutes than any player in Europe going into the World Cup and then he got injured around that time but he talks about the criticism and the noise - for the four years before that, everyone was hailing him as the best defender in the world!
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"You have to accept a little bit if you're not at those high standards when you're a big player like him, that's what comes with being the most expensive defender in the world.
"But this season, I think he's back to his best and he’s had to be because it's such a new team - even that midfield in front of him is different now. It's a lot more offensive, MacAllister is a completely different player to Fabinho for example, so he's been absolutely outstanding."
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk in action against Bournemouth (Getty Images)After missing almost 10 months of competitive action due to an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury suffered against Everton in October 2020, Van Dijk returned at the start of the 2021/22 campaign and helped spearhead Liverpool's push for the quadruple. The Reds won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup that season, but fell short in the Premier League and Champions League as Van Dijk made 51 appearances.
However, Van Dijk's form dropped off last season as he - and Liverpool - struggled throughout. They ultimately ended up not qualifying for the Champions League and Klopp decided to overhaul his midfield in the summer in an attempt to improve their fortunes. That has helped turn Liverpool into a force to be reckoned with this season and Van Dijk has been pivotal to Liverpool's impressive season so far.
After Liverpool's win at Bournemouth, Van Dijk was quizzed on his and the team's form. "I feel fine, I just want to keep going with this amazing football club," he told Sky Sports. "Being made captain by the manager gave me a big boost but it’s not the only reason why I’m playing the way I’m playing.
"With my standards, it’s not been the best year of my career so far but it wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be. For me, I kept my head down and didn’t listen to the noise and I’m glad I did.
"After we changed the system with Trent [Alexander-Arnold] playing more inside, I think our form has gone up a lot more but now I want to achieve a lot with this club, especially as captain now."