Liverpool are close to securing their second Premier League title with a dramatic 2-1 win over West Ham United at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds took Lewis Diaz in the first half and looked to be aiming for a comfortable victory before their unique goal from Andy Robertson went 1-1 in the second half.
But just minutes after that equalizer, Virgil van Dik stepped up the perfect header to win the match on Arne Slot’s side in the 89th minute.
Why Virgil Van Dijk’s performance wasn’t perfect?
Despite scoring the winning goal, as his defensive work (unusually) was a bit wanted, it wasn’t a perfect display by the Netherlands International.
The former Southampton Colossus lost 100% (2/2) of his ground duel, and made an error that led directly to a shot of the hammer, with an occasional volatile performance.
Robertson also appeared to point his fingers at him in the second half for the goal of the Scottish defender’s own. Van Dick meets and completely misses the intervention of his attempts – reaching in a fullback way, accidentally contributing to his goal.
Due to these issues with his display, there were stars who performed even better than the captain, including central midfielder Alexis Mac Alistair.
blackboard
Football Fancast’s Chalkboard series presents tactical discussions centered around global games.
The Alexis Mac Allister is not as far as Mo Salah goes
Argentine International is better than Van Dyk, and he assisted the 38-game Premier League season with Diaz’s assist, breaking the combined goal record and proved he’s as unpapable as assisted Mo Salah.
Liverpool’s Wing Wizard is, of course, not available when it is fit and available due to the quality he can provide in the last third, as evidenced by its record.
The Mac Allister, which has earned an 8/10 player rating from the Liverpool Echo, is equally non-repeatable due to quality that it does not consistently own in Liverpool’s midfield.
vs West Ham | Alexis Mac Allister |
|---|---|
Min | 90 |
Key Pass | 2 |
assist | 1 |
Target shot | 2 |
The dribbling is complete | 1/1 |
The ground duel won | 6/10 |
Tackle + Intercept | 4 |
Statistics via Sofascore | |
As you can see from the table above, the 26-year-old talent was solid, earning 60% of his ground duel, combining four tackles and intercepts to disband the offense.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion star poses a threat with two key passes at the top of the pitch and provided the Vandic winner assist with a good delivery from the corner to go along with two shots of the target.
The Mac Allister combines the calmness of the ball with diligence and tenacity with the class to make it the perfect box-to-box midfield player for Liverpool and slots.
He was better than Vandic against West Ham because he should not make any major errors like centre-backs and remain a regular starter in the final match of the Premier League campaign.
Related
Better Signature than Kerquez: Lecture to Sign Liverpool’s “World Class” Star
Liverpool has not wasted time moving in the transfer market before summer.