Premier League Week 9: Top 5 performers
By Gary Pearson
3. Virgil van Dijk bossed Manchester City
Virgil van Dijk enjoyed an imperious performance in the heart of Southampton’s defense against Manchester City on Sunday. The Southampton center-back frustrated City throughout and showed why Celtic bought him for £11.5 million in 2015. Van Dijk and Jose Fonte form one of the most formidable center-back partnerships in the Premier League, the unassuming duo responsible for holding City to only three shots at home.
Calmness epitomized, van Dijk is always in control and never seems to get flustered. It looked, while keeping Sergio Aguero, one of the world’s best strikers, in check like he was out for a Sunday stroll. Relentless in his pursuit, van Dijk afforded Aguero absolutely no space to turn, so close Aguero could probably smell what van Dijk had for breakfast. He was strong in almost every tackle, unintimidated by Aguero’s shiftiness and speed.
It wasn’t just his ability to suppress Aguero that was impressive. He made crucial blocks on Raheem Sterling and Kelechi Iheanacho when the match was level at 1-1. A towering figure, the 25-year-old center-back headed clear a bevy of corners and crosses, once again showing his worth to the team.
Clattered into by Vincent Kompany a few times, van Dijk, like any good center-back, was well and truly in the trenches. His commitment to the cause is an admirable trait. What he lacks in pace, he more than makes up for in determination, passion, positioning, tenacity and strength. He’s also comfortable with the ball at his feet, spraying 60-yard balls cross-field with pinpoint accuracy, further adding to his already impressive resume.
He was outpaced in a foot race with Iheanacho for City’s equalizer but that’s a race I think most center-backs would lose. It was, but for one blemish, a perfect match.
It’s no wonder Southampton have the second best defensive record in the Premier League.