Liverpool arrived at the Etihad Stadium trailing Manchester City by just one point. And The Kop’s secret is midfielder Virgil van Dijk’s comeback.

This season, Van Dijk is making a great comeback. Picture: Sky SportsVirgil van Dijk was getting ready to travel to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup at this time last season, having started 21 of his team’s 22 games. The 32-year-old midfielder participated in every minute of the competition as the Dutch squad advanced to the quarterfinals.Due to a hamstring injury sustained in January, Van Dijk’s sole absence from Liverpool throughout the hectic second half of the season occurred. He had started 91 games for club and country in less than 18 months throughout that period. That was all subsequent to a severe knee injury.It’s hardly shocking that Van Dijk’s form has declined to what the center-back called “mediocre, sometimes even bad” or that his hamstrings have deteriorated.Liverpool’s competition is simply too fierce. After recovering from an injury, Van Dijk assisted The Kop in winning four games in the 2021–2022 campaign. But there was a significant cost to the workload. The 32-year-old player’s form has only returned three years after his injury.

“My injury is very serious,” Van Dijk said last week. “It’s not surprising that you have to get used to your knees again, so to speak. But now I don’t pay attention to that anymore. I feel like I can do anything”.

Compare Van Dijk’s defensive statistics from previous season to this one in the Premier League. Picture: Sky SportsLiverpool was 15 points behind the best club in the Premier League at this point last season, in ninth place. They are currently in second place, just one point behind Manchester City, the top team. And even The Kop merits to be the top squad when taken into account based on numerous particular indicators.The attacking players’ excellent play has a big part in Liverpool’s successful comeback this year, but Van Dijk is also crucial. A player who appeared to have lost his way the previous season is back on top.Liverpool has only suffered one defeat in the Premier League this year under the leadership of Van Dijk. They and Arsenal both had the fewest goals conceded in the tournament with only 10. Before November’s FIFA Days, they defeated Brentford 3-0 to record their third straight clean sheet in four games.Van Dijk consistently shows up for crucial games, but his overall playing time is well-managed. This season, the Dutch midfielder has not yet played a single minute in the Europa League.This aids in the 32-year-old athlete’s constant maintenance of proper form and a strong physical base. The Dutch center back’s direct marking skill has returned, but lacking the explosive pace of prior seasons.Van Dijk is winning 80.5% of his duels, and he’s winning even more (82.3%) when they’re aerial. This information comes from Opta.This season, no player in the Premier League has won as many duels as this one. In addition, this is a big improvement over the previous campaign, when Van Dijk was overtaken 11 times, which was a record-breaking amount.Up to now this season, Van Dijk is the only regular starting centre-back in the Premier League who has not been dribbled past – an achievement reminiscent of the 2018-2019 season.Van Dijk’s excellent play is really benefiting Liverpool. Image: AFPVan Dijk still makes mistakes from time to time; one such instance was the foul on Aleksandar Isak that resulted in his dismissal during the August victory over Newcastle. or the mishandled pass that gave Brighton the lead in a 2-2 draw. October 2, Amex Stadium.Overall though, considering the standards he has set, Van Dijk is exceeding expectations once more, and that is no small feat.All of that is what Van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, is providing. It appears from recent data that taking over as captain from Jordan Henderson is more beneficial than detrimental.Liverpool’s next trip to Etihad will be a crucial test. In order for The Kop to have success, Van Dijk will be crucial.