MY ACCOUNT
Liverpool are finally clicking into gear — and resilience is at the heart of the Reds’ revival.
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were sensational in the 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday and Jurgen Klopp’s centre-back pairing also impressed in recent fixtures against Rangers and West Ham.
The Merseysiders have not conceded a goal in their last two outings, largely thanks to the remarkable rearguard displays from their central defensive duo.
Ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Nottingham Forest this afternoon, we take a look at how Van Dijk and Gomez have been key to the Reds’ recent improvement.
Inconsistency at the back
Van Dijk has been a mainstay in Liverpool’s backline — but Klopp has rotated his defensive partner throughout this season.
Nat Phillips started August’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, though it has primarily been either Gomez or Joel Matip lining up alongside the Dutchman.
Both players have had mixed campaigns, with Gomez enduring a particularly tough first half in September’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Napoli.
But Matip’s calf injury — suffered in the Reds’ 3-2 loss against Arsenal — has handed the 25-year-old a shot at redemption, which he is currently grasping with both hands.
Big game performance
Gomez issued a timely reminder of his qualities in Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City last Sunday.
The England international put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 1-0 triumph at Anfield, completing six clearances, three headed clearances and regaining possession six times in the defensive third — inside the top two players on the pitch for all three metrics.
With Champions League fixtures against Ajax and Napoli — as well as a crucial top-flight encounter with Tottenham — coming up in the next month, Gomez proved that he can perform on the biggest of occasions.
Clean sheets count
Liverpool have only kept four clean sheets in the Premier League this season — recording shut-outs against Bournemouth (9-0), Everton (0-0), Manchester City (1-0) and West Ham (1-0).
And it is no coincidence that a centre-back pairing of Van Dijk and Gomez started each of those games.
The Reds’ often-shaky backline have typically shown increased resilience when their No2 has lined up along Van Dijk, not least since Gomez returned to the first XI.
Notably, the duo regained possession an impressive 26 times between them in the recent fixtures against Manchester City and West Ham.
Full faith
Despite not always featuring in the starting line-up, Klopp’s faith in Gomez has never wavered.
Speaking after the Londoner signed a contract extension back in July, he said: “Joe is an outstanding talent. He is also an outstanding defender and an outstanding human being.
“He has so many qualities, I could talk about them all day.
“So knowing that he will continue his journey with us is a massive boost — one that everyone who loves Liverpool FC and cares about its present and future should be unbelievably happy about.
“One of the many wonderful things about Joe is he has experience and youth — that’s not a bad combination.
“He has not long turned 25 but he was at the club before I was and I think after Hendo [Jordan Henderson] and Millie [James Milner] he is our longest-serving player. Incredible.
“But the best thing of all is that his best years are still to come and I could not be happier that this will happen with us.”
Passing perfection
The pairing of Van Dijk and Gomez does not just improve Liverpool’s defence — it is equally as important to their attack.
They have the passing range to progress the ball frequently and accurately, with Gomez (9.26) attempting more long passes in the Premier League per 90 minutes than all his outfield team-mates bar Trent Alexander-Arnold (13.07). Van Dijk is not far behind either, with 8.9 per 90.
Both defenders’ completed long passes per 90 also fall within the squad’s top five outfield players, so there is little doubt that their distribution is another useful tool in Klopp’s offensive arsenal.
As Liverpool continue to improve at both ends of the pitch, their centre-back stars are at the forefront of the Reds’ renaissance.
