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If we ever need an example of how important Virgil van Dijk is to Liverpool, we just saw it. The preparation for the 237th installment of the Merseyside derby was dominated by what the midfield and the three forwards would look like, and we seem to have taken the Dutchman for granted.
However, that won’t be the case now, after he was withdrawn in the early stages of the 2-2 draw against Everton after sustaining an injury following a challenge from Jordan Pickford. The details of the injury are not yet known, and we can only hope he won’t be on the sidelines for long. Let’s try to avoid mentioning VAR from now on, shall we?
The first minutes of the game saw Liverpool at their best level of fluency. One-touch passes and intricate movements across the field opened up Everton’s defense with ease, and it didn’t take long for the initial game plan to make its mark. Sadio Mané, how many more superlatives do we need to describe your quality and overall impact on this team?
Can we also take a moment to admire and appreciate how good Thiago Alcântara is? His movement on and off the ball is a joy to watch, and he was arguably the best player on the field. An honorable mention also for Mohamed Salah, for scoring his 100th goal for Liverpool.
Jordan Henderson had a chance to double Liverpool’s lead, and the visitors had their Merseyside rivals on the ropes. Then came Pickford’s challenge, and suddenly the game had a completely different perspective. It was one of the fiercest derbies we’ve seen in many years, with Richarlison handing over his marching orders in the final stages, and arguably the Everton goalkeeper should have joined in what he did to Van Dijk.
After what seemed like seconds after Van Dijk left the field, Everton had a new life and Liverpool looked shocked. It is the first time he has not completed a Premier League match since September 2018, a streak of 74 matches.
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This was a new challenge for Liverpool, and it would be hard for you to argue the point that they got away with it, because in reality they didn’t. Not a bit. Will we look back on this stalemate as one point won or two lost? Once the dust settles it can lean towards the former, but given what happened in the final stages it seems pretty unlikely.
If Van Dijk is out for the foreseeable future, then Liverpool will face a real test without their star defense. You just have to look at Everton’s first goal to see what they lose when he’s not out there. Height, an aerial threat in the area and a commanding presence to deal with set pieces, all of which were missing, leading to the draw for Michael Keane.
And then for the goal of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, another center to the area that is not managed. If Van Dijk had been on the pitch, would the forward have put himself in such a strong position to score? Who knows, we can only speculate. One thing is certain, when he is not in the team the vacuum that remains is greater than many of us would like.
There were also other cases that show how important Van Dijk is to the team. His organizational skills are second to none, certainly in Liverpool. How he and his teammates position themselves is key to the way the high line tactic is applied, in particular. There were many occasions, particularly in the first half, where the Everton forwards seemed to run behind the Liverpool defense at will. Once Jürgen Klopp got his message across at halftime, they seemed to disappear, but it was clear that something was missing, or rather someone, and we all know who it was.
If you combine the loss of Van Dijk with the absence of Alisson Becker, Liverpool are about to enter uncharted territory, and at Goodison, we got a glimpse of what this alternate reality will look like. It certainly looks more unsettling than what we’re used to seeing of late.
Van Dijk and Alisson have been vital to Liverpool’s rise to the top of English, European and world football. Now Liverpool face an unforeseen spell with none available to be selected. The club’s medical team will undoubtedly work around the clock to make sure the couple is back in top shape as soon as possible.
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