Virigil van Dijk enjoyed a glass of red wine on Saturday evening to toast his 300th appearance for Liverpool.
It was another vintage performance from the Dutchman in red as Arne Slot's side showed little sign of extending their lead in the Premier League title race. But even though Van Dijk is the 'Rolls Royce' defender in the team that is six points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table and has played a game less, every team needs an engine.
That is the midfield of Slot's machine. While much was made of Liverpool's failure to make any high-profile signings last summer, it was Jurgen Klopp's signings last year that were crucial in this season's title challenge.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were once again excellent in different midfield roles in a match that saw the latter open the scoring before Mo Salah and a Cody Gakpo double beat Ipswich. But it was another match in which Van Dijk's compatriot Ryan Gravenberch was just as crucial as the scorers.
Yesterday marked one year since Klopp shocked the world by announcing he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. It would be a big moment for Gravenberch.
Not that he knew it at the time, but Klopp's successor Slot would discover the former Ajax and Bayern Munich player's best position as number six after struggling for minutes in his debut season. “Last year he didn't play that much, but we could all see his quality,” said Van Dijk. “He kept his head down and worked his socks off.
“This year he has earned the trust and gained the confidence to show his quality every three to four days. I'm very impressed with him. Not only on the field, but also off the field. He is still a young boy, but he is growing into a man.
“The way he approaches the game, both on and off the pitch, is crucial to being a world-class player. In my eyes, given the consistency he is showing, he is definitely a world-class player and he can only get better. He just needs to keep his head down, keep working, keep enjoying, he's in a really good place. He learns from performances in games. He's been pretty much flawless all season.”
Szoboszlai opened the scoring with a fine finish before Salah's impressive Gakpo cross set up the second. Gakpo then got the third and fourth either side of half-time, with Gravenberch providing a crucial pass in the build-up to his compatriot's first goal.
But it's not just his passivity that impresses; no midfielder has made more interceptions this season. Just like Van Dijk, Gravenberch is a player who rarely goes into the ground, but wins his duels on his feet. “I am proud of him and I am not only happy for him but also for us because he is a crucial player for how we want to play and how we want to be successful,” Van Dijk said.
Jacob Greaves got a late consolation for struggling Ipswich, but this was another day that will take away any hope for Liverpool's rivals that a mistake will come. With goals in attack, solidity at the back and a roaring midfield engine, Van Dijk may be able to exchange red wine for champagne in May.
And a second title may be in line with his Anfield highlights, but he won't pick his favorite Liverpool moment until he's finished creating it. Van Dijk, 33, played 297 of the 300 games he played for Liverpool, winning 209, keeping 119 clean sheets and conceding just 277 – less than a goal per game – while scoring 25 himself. He said: “Very proud. My family and my children were here today, so it was a special day. Good win, so now we focus on the next one.
“There will come a day when I think about everything that happened to me at Liverpool. Then I will think carefully about what stands out. Hopefully, good things are still to come.”
He has the highest winning percentage of any Liverpool player after 300 games. Van Dijk said: “It shows I've done quite well so far. It's down to everyone involved – the players, the managers, the fans. It's a good statistic to have. We will continue.”
The Dutchman has won the Premier League, Champions League, an FA Cup, two League Cups, a Club World Cup and Super Cup in his seven years at the club. So with his contract expiring this summer, the obvious question is how many games he has in red to continue making memories.
He added: “I have no idea. How many are left this season? Hopefully they are guaranteed and then I don't know what the future will bring.”
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