"Another enjoyable day at the office" - Garth Crooks hails 30-year-old star and Liverpool after Newcastle United win
BBC pundit Garth Crooks has heaped praise on the performance put in by Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk during their 1-0 win over Newcastle United. A solitary goal from Naby Keita was enough for the Reds to secure all three points at St. James' Park.
Crooks credited Van Dijk's performance which resulted in yet another clean sheet for Jurgen Klopp's side this season. The pundit also applauded the Reds' physical and mental fortitude to secure an important result in the league days after their Champions League game against Villarreal.
Writing in his column for BBC Sport, Garth Crooks was quoted as saying:
"Another clean sheet and another enjoyable day at the office for Van Dijk. I thought this was an extraordinary performance by Liverpool.
"Having played Villareal in the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night, travelling to Newcastle for a 12:30pm kick-off at St James Park three days later and coming away with a victory - bearing in mind the form Newcastle have been in - was outstanding."
Virgil van Dijk vs Newcastle
• 57/66 (86%) passes (1st in game)
• 72 touches
• 2 shots
• 1/1 dribble
• 2/3 aerial duels
• 3 clearances (2nd for LFC)
• 4/11 long passes
• Not dribbled past
• 9 offsides
Another solid display. Never looks troubled 👌 https://t.co/zmiaLnWE5P
Virgil van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's most consistent players this season as they look to win the quadruple. The 30-year-old defender has made 46 appearances across all competitions and has contributed three goals and an assist.
It is worth mentioning that van Dijk has featured in 32 out of the 34 games in the Premier League so far this season. The only two games he missed were due to him testing positive for COVID-19 back in December.
Despite securing a hard-fought victory over Newcastle, Jurgen Klopp's side are still second in the standings behind Manchester City. The Reds remained a point behind Pep Guardiola's side after they secured a 4-0 win over Leeds United.
Liverpool will now look to qualify for the Champions League final
Liverpool will now turn their attention towards the UEFA Champions League as they look to qualify for their third cup final of the year. The Reds have already made it through to the FA Cup final and also won the Carabao Cup earlier this year.
As things stand, Liverpool are 2-0 ahead on aggregate against Villarreal following their victory at Anfield. They will now travel to the Estadio de la Ceramica on Tuesday, 3 May.
Next up... our #UCL semi-final second leg 👊🔴 https://t.co/jW4Vu5SrAi
It is worth mentioning that the winner of this semifinal will either face Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final in Paris on May 28.