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Liverpool, so far, have coped relatively well with the absence of Virgil van Dijk. The reaction that followed the news of his ACL injury was inevitably near hysteria, given its importance to Jürgen Klopp’s team.
The imposing Dutchman is much more than a center-back: he is a presence, a leader, a motivator. There’s an almost intangible aura of superiority that few defenders can match.
So he is missed, even if Liverpool have adapted relatively well. Against Ajax, an initial ordeal in the Champions League last week, Joe Gomez and Fabinho started on defense. They were solid, helping the Reds to a clean sheet and a 1-0 win at the Amsterdam Arena.
The same defensive duo lined up against Sheffield United in the league. Fabinho conceded a controversial penalty, but other than that, Alisson, who made a welcome return to the team, was relatively calm as Liverpool struggled to win 2-1.
And on Tuesday night, there was the increasingly familiar vision of Fabinho and Gomez once again, this time tasked with keeping FC Midtjylland out. The former was forced to retire due to injury, leaving Liverpool very short of options, but another clean sheet was achieved without Van Dijk.
It’s a small sample, of course, but in the three games since Van Dijk’s injury, Liverpool seem to have toughened things up, made a conscious effort to play a bit more conservative. The aggressive pressure has not gone away, nor has the calculated risk that has proven to be so intrinsic to the Klopp system.
However, there has been a noticeable change on the defensive line, which is clearly not as high as it was until the Merseyside derby. Anyway, that could have been a change Klopp was considering, and Van Dijk’s injury probably forced it. Fabinho is not as fast as the man he replaced and is not as used to the role.
Even Van Dijk was having problems before his injury. The high line was repeatedly exposed in the 7-2 humiliation at Aston Villa, which left Liverpool with one goal against in the Premier League of 11 in four games.
That game was an anomaly, certainly, but the Reds’ defensive decline was part of a clear trend. In the five league games that Van Dijk played until his injury, Liverpool’s total xGA was 6.81, which put him 13th in the standings for that particular statistic.
In the three games since then, Klopp’s team has felt comfortable against Ajax (xGA 0.51) and slightly less set for the league meeting with Sheffield United (xGA 1.61). On Tuesday night, Midtjylland threatened in the second half after a quiet 45-minute start (xGA 1.37).
Again, it’s only been a handful of games without Van Dijk, but a tactical adjustment could mitigate his absence more than expected. Alisson’s return is obviously crucial too, given Adrian’s questionable performances.
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Combined, Ajax, Sheffield United and Midtjylland managed just eight shots on goal against Liverpool. In the previous three games, against Everton, Villa and Arsenal (all of whom started Van Dijk), the Reds faced 18 on goal.
They are arguably tougher matches, but there has been a clear focus on propping up the bottom line, understandable after such a cataclysmic loss at Villa Park.
Time will tell if Liverpool can maintain their constant defensive performances. It’s likely to be even more difficult after Fabinho’s injury, which could mean 19-year-old Rhys Williams is asked to play a bigger role. There will also be much tougher tests to come, and it’s on the bigger stage where we’ll really start to see if Van Dijk is replaceable.
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