Liverpool’s march towards a Premier League title challenge continued yesterday with a 2-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield, with Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri providing the decisive goals either side of half-time.
In a fixture which many had predicted Liverpool to dominate, the visiting side posed a genuine threat for the Reds before they took the lead through Salah. After missing a glorious opportunity through Ryan Sessegnon and generally posing a threat to Alisson’s goal, Fulham thought they had earned just reward for a solid opening to the game when Aleksandar Mitrovic rose highest to thump a commanding header into the back of the net.
Just as Fulham began to wheel away in celebration, they noticed the linesman had raised his flag for offside and, while the disappointed Cottagers were sleeping, Liverpool took full advantage with a breathtaking counter-attack.
Alisson immediately placed the ball down and distributed to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back before panic set in amongst Fulham’s back-line.
The England international dissected Fulham’s defensive unit with a perfectly weighted through ball which sent Salah through on goal, unchallenged and on his favoured left-foot. There was only ever going to be one outcome.
It was a moment which altered the complexion of the fixture at a point in time when Fulham were growing in stature and unsettling Liverpool’s back-four, and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has claimed that Virgil van Dijk deserves credit for his intriguing part in the goal.
In Redknapp’s team of the week column as published by the Daily Mail, he noticed this about the Netherlands international.
‘Liverpool’s breakaway goal against Fulham looked like a great piece of quick thinking from Alisson. Watch the replay more closely and you’ll see it is Virgil van Dijk who tells his goalkeeper to take the free-kick quickly. A moment of ingenuity and leadership like this highlights Van Dijk’s value to Jurgen Klopp’s side.’
While Van Dijk’s importance to Liverpool has been pinpointed on countless occasions since he arrived at the club, Redknapp’s admission highlights another string to his bow that is not always tangible from an onlookers perspective.
The manner in which Liverpool’s defensive unit has improved in 2018 illuminates Van Dijk’s leadership and communication qualities, but his moment of intervention against Fulham provided a microcosm of the subtle impact he makes which can easily slip under the radar.
In a sport which so often hinges on the finest of margins, Van Dijk’s quick-witted decision to instigate a cunning attack with a simple message to his goalkeeper served to prove how priceless he is to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
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