After lesser funds, caused by empty stadiums, and a lack of pre-season have seen some of the big clubs enduring a topsy-turvy first-half to their Premier League campaigns, this winter transfer window couldn't get any more important.

And despite the popular belief that the winter window comes with the scope of doing very little business, history is evident that Premier League clubs have managed some of their best imports in the mid-season window.

Here are five such examples:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal (2018)

Before Nicolas Pepe’s �?/span>79 million transfer, Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang held the record as Arsenal’s most expensive club signing. A �?3.75 million transfer from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, Aubameyang’s move to north London is fondly remembered as the last transfer activity of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

Aubameyang scored 10 goals in 13 appearances in his debut campaign, and since then, he has become one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League.

In his second season at the Emirates, the 31-year-old scored 22 goals to share the Golden Boot of the 2018-19 season with Liverpool pair Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane.

The 2019-20 season is perhaps Aubameyang’s best campaign in an Arsenal shirt, from scoring 22 goals to earning the club captaincy, and then leading the Gunners to a record 14th FA Cup title. In due process, Aubameyang became the first African player in the competition’s history to captain a side in triumph.

The Gabon international currently has netted three times in 15 games and the Arsenal faithful are hopeful their club talisman rediscovers his scoring instincts.

Luis Suarez to Liverpool (2011)

Luis Suarez’s �?6.5 million from Ajax was perhaps a significant bargain, and the Uruguayan youngster wasted no time in announcing himself as a Liverpool player.

Close control and quick feet, Suarez gained Liverpool’s attention from his awe-inspiring 2010 World Cup campaign, and he finished his debut season with four goals in 13 games.

While his transfer deal was overshadowed by Fernando Torres�?�?8.5 million move to Chelsea, Suarez made the most of his three-and-a-half-season spell at Anfield with 82 goals for the club in 133 appearances.

The Uruguayan won the Golden Boot Award in the 2013-14 season for scoring an incredible 31 goals in 33 games, whilst leading Liverpool to a second-place finish on the league table.

A two-time Liverpool's Player of the Season, Luis Suarez remains as one of the most gifted attackers to play for the club, and in the Premier League.

Nemanja Vidic to Manchester United (2006)

Sir Alex Ferguson had a keen eye for raw talents, and the �?0.50 million signature of Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow elevated the Scotsman’s business capabilities.

Vidic, then 24, partnered Rio Ferdinand, a one-time British record transfer holder, at the heart of the Manchester United defence from 2006 till 2014; and this pairing has gone down as the greatest defensive partnership in Premier League history.

In eight and a half years with the Red Devils, Vidic won 5 Premier League titles, 3 League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.

Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United (2020)

 

Another impactful January transfer for Manchester United is Bruno Fernandes. A recent recruit for the club, the Portuguese has changed the dynamics of the squad and has brought back the attacking brand of football that was missed at Old Trafford. United paid an overall deal of �?8 million to Sporting CP for the 25-year old.

In 30 Premier League games for the 20-time champions, Bruno has contributed 19 goals and 14 assists. The only player in Premier League history to be involved in more goals in their first 30 games is United legend Andrew Cole (37). 

What makes these numbers even special is that Bruno’s exploits have come in midfield. Fernandes has won the Player of the month award as many as six times in nine months, while being crowned the Premier League player of the month thrice.

Bruno Fernandes has been a catalyst for Manchester United’s forward push and is well-placed to turn Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Red Devils into title contenders once again.

Virgil Van Dijk to Liverpool (2018)

After a failed attempt in June 2017, Liverpool returned with a successful bid of �?4.65m to sign Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton in 2018. Initially brushed off as a 'waste of money', the deal is now considered as a perfect marriage made in football.

Van Dijk has become a central core of Liverpool’s defence, and his 20 clean sheets in the 2018-19 Premier League campaign was a sheer display of his rock-solid demeanour.

The Dutchman’s ability to read the game and aerial threats during set-pieces has made him one of the top-ranked central defenders in the sporting world, and after leading Liverpool to the 2018-19 Champions League crown, his popularity skyrocketed when he and Liverpool ended their long wait for a Premier League title.

Van Dijk has also won a FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP / Shaun Botterill

Widely regarded as the best football league in the world for its competitive nature, the Premier League seems to be heading for a tight finish this year going by the opening few weeks of the season.

Unlike the last three seasons when Manchester City and Liverpool dominated the rest of the teams in the division, it doesn’t seem like any club will be getting close to 100 points in the ongoing campaign.

And a tight league will be welcomed from all quarters because after all, it’s the unexpected nature of the Premier League that makes it so special and different from others where the winners and relegated teams are more often than not a forgone conclusion.

From Leicester City’s fairytale title triumph and Sergio Aguero’s season-ending winner for Manchester City to Steve Bruce’s most iconic goal for Manchester United against Sheffield Wednesday, the Premier League has had more than its fair share of bedlam-inducing moments over the years.

However, as alluded to, the last three campaigns have been rather bland compared to past seasons with a couple of teams quick off the blocks and dominating the rest of the sides to get close to 100 points.

While the rest of the clubs battled for scraps and European spots, Liverpool and City were far ahead of the competition, which somewhat took away from the competitive edge that had become synonymous with the league.

The 2020-21 campaign, though, resembles the Premier League of old, with clubs dropping points and no clear favourites emerging as frontrunners for the title after the first few gameweeks.

City, in fact, fell from grace last season after two campaigns that saw them finish on 100 points and 98 points to win the league. They finished on 81 points last season �?18 points behind Liverpool, who at the start of this campaign were once again expected to blow away the competition.

Three wins from three further added fuel to that notion but a shock 7-2 loss at the hands of Aston Villa went against that script. Still merely considered a blip, the Reds were expected to bounce back and the Goodison derby was thought of as the perfect game to do so.

They eventually drew 2-2 with the Toffees, however, the biggest fallout from the match wasn’t the result but an injury to Virgil van Dijk �?Liverpool’s talisman in defence and the man credited with turning the Reds into title winners.

Without the Dutchman, the Reds�?frailties at the back become all the more evident. Lest we forget, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds never really had much trouble finding the back of the net since his appointment by the Merseyside club.

The area where they consistently struggled was keeping the ball out of their own net and with van Dijk ruled out for the foreseeable future with an ACL injury, those issues are likely to surface again before now and the end of the season.

The Dutchman was brought to Liverpool for a then-record fee for a defender and goalkeeper Alisson was also roped in for a record fee for a custodian back then. Together the duo provided the Reds the defensive stability and security to become one of the best clubs in Europe.

Now that they are both on the treatment table �?albeit for a relatively shorter period of time in Alisson’s case �?Liverpool reaching the heights of last season in the league is hard to imagine.

That’s not to say that they won’t compete for top honours but the manner of their dominance last season will surely not be repeated now. Even though no club wants to see players injured, the latest development will come as a shot in the arm for City and the rest of the clubs hoping to challenge Liverpool.

With all things considered, it’s worth mentioning that Liverpool are still one of the frontrunners to retain their league crown but the fact that van Dijk’s long-term injury blows the title race open cannot be ignored either.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Peter Byrne

Gameweek 5 of the Premier League was another rollercoaster weekend of action with teams from the big six dropping points, while the likes of Sheffield United and Fulham picked up their first point of the season. The past weekend’s action also witnessed the Merseyside derby and needless to say, there were plenty of flashpoints as Everton lost their perfect start to the campaign following a 2-2 draw with Liverpool. The only team remaining in England that enjoys a 100 per cent record is Aston Villa, who made it four wins from four after a late winner by Ross Barkley gave them a win over Leicester City. Here are some of the talking points from the week gone by.

Virgil van Dijk’s injury blows title race open

Everton and Liverpool were involved in an exciting 2-2 draw that witnessed just about everything from red cards and disallowed goals to VAR controversy. However, the biggest fallout from the encounter has to be the injury of Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch centre-back has been integral to Liverpool’s successes since his arrival, having hardly missed a minute of action. That said, he looks set to miss the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury following a tackle by Jordan Pickford. It’s no secret that van Dijk’s presence at the back for Liverpool has had a transformative effect on the fortunes of the club and him out for the entirety of the season comes as a major setback for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Read | Don’t blame technology for the written rules and the incompetence of VAR

Open league with no team dominating rest of the competition

Unlike the last three seasons when Liverpool and Manchester City were blowing away the competition with 90 plus point campaigns, the ongoing season is keeping everyone guessing. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all dropped points over the weekend as sides from the big six continue to find it difficult to string a run of positive results together. Even though it’s still early days with Liverpool and City likely to rise to the challenge as the season progresses, it’s safe to say we won’t be seeing any club getting to or close to 100 points this year. 

Gareth Bale second stint at Spurs won’t be as team’s talisman

48': Wolves 2-3 Spurs
69': Bale comes on
87': Wolves 3-3 Spurs

HT: Spurs 3-0 West Ham
72': Bale comes on
90+4': Spurs 3-3 West Ham

Nine years between Gareth Bale's last two sub appearances for Spurs. Same result. pic.twitter.com/SipLKSwWeh

�?Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 18, 2020

Spurs were leading 3-0 against West Ham United when Gareth Bale was introduced from the bench and while it wouldn’t be fair to say that his presence on the pitch coincided with Tottenham conceding thrice, a quick glance at his cameo doesn’t do him any favours. Still lacking match sharpness, Bale struggled to impose himself on the match and even missed a chance to seal the win for his team. But what stood out even more during his time on the field was that this Bale is very different from the one that Spurs sold in 2013. With several influential talents like Harry Kane and Son Heung-min now in the team, Bale is no longer the go-to man for the club and must first focus on earning a starting spot with the north London club.

Ross Barkley enjoying start to life with high-flying Aston Villa

2 - Ross Barkley has scored in each of his two Premier League appearances for Aston Villa (2 goals), as many as he managed in his last 42 for Chelsea before moving to Villa Park. Quality. pic.twitter.com/Cbz8FHfH8m

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 18, 2020

A major reason behind Aston Villa having such a solid start to their season is the form of Barkley. Since joining Villa from Chelsea on loan, Barkley has had a big say in the club’s fortunes. He netted for them against Liverpool in the last gameweek and scored the winner against Leicester over the weekend. Barkley and Jack Grealish together could help Aston Villa make a push for a European spot finish this season with the former finally looking like he’s at a club that’s making the best use of his talent, unlike his Chelsea stint where he was constantly in and out of the team. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Peter Byrne

If someone had told you that there would be an error leading to a goal by a centre-back in the match between Arsenal and Liverpool, a vast majority, if not all, would expect the eccentric David Luiz to be the culprit.

However, that wasn’t the case at the Emirates Stadium, as it was Liverpool's standout defender Virgil Van Dijk who gifted Arsenal an equaliser after being robbed off the ball at the edge of his team’s box. The Dutch international rarely puts a foot wrong, let alone make a high-profile that would cost his team big time.

Lacazette goal, look at this from mr ‘best defender in the world�?Van dijk pic.twitter.com/JwR603gIlX

�?ً (@KieranCFC88) July 15, 2020

Following that goal, Arsenal scored another which came courtesy of an error from Alisson, as Liverpool’s two star men were seemingly out of sorts at the Emirates.

NELSON MAKES IT TWO!! After taking the ball off Van Dijk to create the first, he scores himself! Arsenal lead Liverpool 2-1! #ARSLIV pic.twitter.com/PnTtbHhQha

�?Take Ballon D’or 2023 (@TechnicalTake26) July 15, 2020

Arsenal held on to their gifted lead for the rest of the night, beating Liverpool and ending the Reds�?hopes of breaking Manchester City's record of 100 points in a Premier League season. The internet was unforgiving of Van Dijk and Alisson for their error and here are some of the best reactions: 

Van Dijk and Alisson created more chances for Arsenal than Arsenal did for Arsenal.

�?Troll Football (@TrollFootball) July 15, 2020

Van Dijk's error led to one of only two shots that Arsenal managed on the Liverpool goal. They converted both. And Manchester United fans were quick to point the hypocrisy when it comes to comparing Van Dijk and Harry Maguire.

If Harry Maguire does what Van Dijk just did he'd be hammered. Football has become so shallow. Everyone makes mistakes

�?Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) July 15, 2020

Dejan Lovren and Loris Karius have given Liverpool fans nightmares with their high-profile errors.

Allison and Van Dijk since winning the Premier League: pic.twitter.com/LCXn0zYGPF

�?Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) July 15, 2020

No points record, no golden boot for Salah and no golden glove for Alisson pic.twitter.com/XuU0KGsd2h

�?Dan (@Ifcdan) July 11, 2020

The title may be theirs, but Liverpool fans wanted more.

Simeone and Mourinho after watching Mikel Arteta tonight pic.twitter.com/tXglnLonyl

�?Waldo �?(@AtleticoLondon) July 15, 2020

A smash and grab against Liverpool? That’s straight from the Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone school of coaching.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

Virgil van Dijk held his hands up to an uncharacteristic error that cost Liverpool the chance to set a new Premier League record points tally as Arsenal came from behind to beat the champions 2-1.

Just a third league defeat of the season for Jurgen Klopp's men means the Reds cannot now match Manchester City's record 100 points from two seasons ago.

Sadio Mane put Liverpool in front as the visitors dominated for the first 30 minutes at the empty Emirates.

But Van Dijk's slack pass allowed Alexandre Lacazette to equalise before Alisson Becker also produced a rare mistake to allow Lacazette to tee up Reiss Nelson for the winner just before half-time.

"The goals we give them as a present," said Van Dijk. "If you give the goals away like we did today, including myself, you get what you deserve."

2016 - Liverpool have gone in behind at half-time despite scoring the opening goal for the first time since December 2016 vs West Ham; that game was also the last time they made two errors leading directly to a goal in the opening half. Shaken. pic.twitter.com/k2ig5mZMUX

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 15, 2020

Liverpool have now dropped points in four of their seven games since the Premier League's restart compared to just two prior to the shutdown.

But Van Dijk said there was no shortage of motivation after clinching a first league title in 30 years.

"It's too easy to say that," he added. "If you watch the game, until I made the mistake there was nothing wrong. I take the blame for it I take it as a man and we move on."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's mind appeared to be already focused on Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against his former side Manchester City as he left top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench among five changes from defeat in the north London derby to Spurs.

But victory kept the Gunners' chances of European football next season alive by moving up to ninth and within two points of seventh-placed Tottenham.

• Arsenal beat Liverpool to end record bid, Man City sink Bournemouth

"To put a defeat away before a semi-final, it's a good medicine," said Arteta of his side bouncing back.

"To beat this team you know how many good things you have to have. You have to have moments in the game where you take your chances, you have to defend in many moments they way we did tonight, and you need a bit of luck and today we had all of that."

Liverpool, by contrast, were at full strength bar the absence of injured captain Jordan Henderson and it showed for the first half an hour as the visitors' dominated.

Liverpool deservedly took the lead in the 20th minute with a slick move as Andy Robertson provided his 10th assist in the Premier League this season with a low cross that was met on the stretch by Mane.

However, Klopp blamed a lack of concentration after going ahead for two rare slack moments that cost them the match.

"Twice (there was) massive lack of concentration," said the German. "We did a lot of things well but you cannot win football games when you concede goals like these."

Lacazette pounced on just Van Dijk's second error leading to a goal in 88 Premier League games since his £75 million move from Southampton in January 2018 to score his third goal in four games.

The signings of Van Dijk and Alisson transformed Liverpool's defensive record under Klopp, but the Brazilian then followed his centre-back's example by gifting away possession to Lacazette and the Frenchman's cross was dispatched by Nelson for his first Premier League goal.

Liverpool were camped in Arsenal's half for the second 45 minutes, but found no way through to see the chance of surpassing City's centurions slip away.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

Long gone are the days when central defenders used to just sit back and look for potential danger. Football, over the years, has made significant headway, which has seen the defenders being a pivotal part of the team’s attack from the back.

This is a role which has shaped up from being just a guard to being a distributor across the field; a trait which a certain Virgil van Dijk has mastered to mere perfection.

The Liverpool defender, who began his professional career with the Eredivise side Groningen, has gone from strength to strength to become one of the best in the sport. Rising to prominence during his two-and-a-half-year spell with Southampton, the towering centre-half has turned 29 today, and on this occasion, we look at five of the most expensive defenders of all time.

Aymeric Laporte �?Joined Manchester City from Athletic Bilbao for £57m

Pep Guardiola’s surge of acquiring a ball-playing centre-back for Manchester City took him to Aymeric Laporte back in 2016. However, it took one-and-a-half years for the Spanish coach to convince him to sign for the Cityzens.

In January 2018, Laporte finally landed in England, signing a five-year contract with City for £57m, making him the club’s most expensive signing. Since arriving, the 26-year-old has constantly struggled with injuries, but when fit, he is duly capable of delivering what is expected of him.

Matthijs de Ligt �?Joined Juventus from Ajax for £67.5m

A season after guiding Ajax to their first-ever UEFA Champions League semi-final since the 1996-97 season, defender Matthijs de Ligt found himself in the midst of a sheer tug of war between the likes of Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. It was, however, the Turin club who managed to convince him.

Handing in a five-year contract, Juventus paid £67.5m to Ajax for the prodigy, who now has a buyout clause of �?50m (£135.6m) included in his contract, which will come into effect after June 2022.

Arriving at the club with much fanfare, the Dutch centre-back has endured a rather difficult start to his new life. Recent improvements, however, have been a huge sigh of relief for the Old Lady.

Lucas Hernandez �?Joined Bayern Munich from Atletico Madrid for £68m

A year after winning the coveted FIFA World Cup with France, defender Lucas Hernandez moved from Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich for a club-record fee of £68m, making him one of the most expensive defenders of all time.

A versatile defender who can play as a left-back and also as a centre-back, Hernandez has found it hard to break into Bayern’s first team, having been limited to just 19 league appearances in the 2019/20 Bundesliga season. Ankle and knee injuries have further played its part in dislodging him from the starting XI, with make-shift centre-back David Alaba and Jerome Boateng acquiring the spots.

Virgil van Dijk �?Joined Liverpool from Southampton for £75m

Liverpool and Southampton were involved in an ugly spat while dealing with the transfer of Virgil van Dijk. His move to the red half of Merseyside was imminent when he handed in a transfer request in August 2017, but the move fell through before Liverpool issued a public apology for making an alleged illegal approach for the then 26-year-old.

In December 2017, however, Liverpool announced that they have reached an agreement with Southampton for van Dijk. The Reds paid a then world-record fee of £75m, making the Dutch the most expensive defender of all time.

Their investment has been duly paid off as van Dijk has not only improved Jurgen Klopp’s defence but has also guided them to the UEFA Champions League as well as Premier League glory in two years. His brilliance has gone to an extent that he went an incredible 64 games in the 2018/19 season without being dribbled past.

Harry Maguire �?Joined Manchester United from Leicester City for £80m

In August 2019, defender Harry Maguire became one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first Manchester United signings, arriving from Leicester City for a record £80m fee.

And regardless of what has been said about the fee, Maguire has well and truly improved a lacking Manchester United defence. Playing every single minute of the Premier League this season, his presence has made the Red Devils one of the finest defensive units, having conceded just 33 goals in as many league games. Only champions Liverpool (25), Manchester City (34) and Leicester (31) have conceded fewer goals than United.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

After a convincing 4-0 routing of Crystal Palace mid-week, all Liverpool needed from Manchester City was to drop points against Chelsea in order to lift their first league title in 30 years. So when Christian Pulisic opened the scoring for Frank Lampard in the 36th minute, the Reds�?faithful were duly on the edge of their seat.

But the game was far from finished. City responded in the second period, with none other than their former man, Kevin De Bruyne, restoring the parity by scoring a banger. But when Fernandinho was dismissed late in the game, Willian made no mistake in restoring the advantage, sending the Liverpool players, who were gathered in a hotel to watch the game, into a frenzy.

The celebration broke out into the city, as the Reds were deservedly crowned the new champions of England, with a record seven games still to be played.

Read | Five unforgettable moments from Liverpool’s Premier League triumph

Liverpool, who finished only a point behind Manchester City in the 2018/19 Premier League campaign, have lost a solitary game this season, winning a whopping 28 of the 31 Premier League fixtures.

7 �?Liverpool have won the @premierleague title with seven games still left to play �?this is the earliest title victory in English top-flight history in terms of remaining matches when crowned champions. Romped. pic.twitter.com/q3KUSEJJJy

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 25, 2020

Jurgen Klopp, who is the first German manager to win the English top-flight title in its 131-year history, has carried a distinctive identity at Liverpool; an identity of having one of the deadliest attacking trios, a defence as solid as a rock, and a midfield as commendable as a knight; a team that hasn’t lost at home in the league in three years.

The 2019/20 Premier League season has rightly been a collective effort, but keep in mind that not even a single player has put a foot wrong throughout the season. And thus, picking out five players from the group has been as arduous as it can get. But we gave it a go.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The fact that Liverpool’s most creative outlay this season has been a 21-year-old right-back is exhilarating, to say the least. And when Alexander-Arnold opened the scoring for his side against Crystal Palace this week, he became the youngest Liverpool player to score from a direct free-kick at Anfield in the Premier League since Robbie Fowler in 1995.

In fact, since making his debut in August 2016, the blistering full-back has been directly involved in 30 Premier League goals (five goals & 25 assists), at least five more than any other defender in the span. This season, he has not only accumulated 12 league assists but has also scored three goals, two more than he bagged in the previous campaign.

12 - Trent Alexander-Arnold provided 12 assists in the Premier League in 2018-19; the most by a defender in a single season in the competition’s history. Delivery. #OptaPLSeasons pic.twitter.com/NPCMUmdwhP

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 28, 2020

Alexander-Arnold’s most notable performance of the season came against Leicester City on Boxing Day, when he not only assisted twice but also came on the scoresheet with a fine finish in the corner.

A sure shot contender for the PFA Player of the Year, or even the PFA Young Player of the year.

Virgil van Dijk

A dominant and a consistent presence in the heart of Liverpool’s defence, Virgil van Dijk has brought the serenity Jurgen Klopp was so devoid of. The big Dutchman has played every single minute of the league this season and played a big role his side’s stupendous defensive record, having conceded just 21 goals so far. And for a defender to get a solitary yellow card in 31 league appearances shows how exceptional his tactical awareness has been this season.

Van Dijk, despite being at the club for just two-and-a-half years, has established himself as one of their greats. A player blessed with incredible passing ability and sheer physical might that is bound to terrorise the opponents, van Dijk is amongst several Liverpool players to be in the contention for winning the PFA award this season.

Jordan Henderson

Eight years back, Jordan Henderson was an unwanted commodity at Liverpool, with their then-manager Brendan Rodgers including him in a deal to bring Clint Dempsey to Anfield from Fulham. At present, he is the captain of the same side that lifted a UEFA Champions League trophy and a Premier League title in two years under Jurgen Klopp.

3 - Liverpool have scored 100+ goals in all competitions for a third consecutive season, the first time they have done so since 1986-87 (eight in a row). Tonne. pic.twitter.com/hFBINUccnt

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2020

Henderson’s stocks have been on a rise especially in the past couple of years and he has arguably been the most underrated player of his team. His influence can be jotted down with the fact that Liverpool’s win percentage drops almost 13 percent when he is not in the team (56 compared to 68.68 when he is in the team).

The midfielder has been a perfect carrier of the ball, linking his defence to attack, and has scored three goals coupled with five assists this season. Henderson’s role in the team is beyond the playing field, to say the least. The leadership quality he brings along which has glued the team under Klopp has been simply unmatchable.

Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah’s ridiculous return of 44 goals in his debut campaign with Liverpool set the bar so high that when he scored 27 in the 2018/19 season, the figure looked seemingly low. The fact, however, remained that no one scored more than the Egyptian that season.

15 - Mo Salah has scored 15 @premierleague goals at Anfield this season - no other player has scored more than 10 home goals in the competition this term. Indeed, the Egyptian has scored in each of his last six home league games for the Reds (seven goals). Comforts. pic.twitter.com/AkHktVMV6k

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2020

This year, the 28-year-old has accumulated 21 goals and nine assists in all competitions. Although Salah has had his fair share of lows this season, he remains Liverpool’s top-scorer of the season, and no one in the league has scored more than his seven match-winners.

Such is Salah’s quality that despite scoring 21 goals, this figure seems like a moderate return. Maybe it’s time to just appreciate what he brings, rather than collating what he has done in the past.

Sadio Mane

Salah’s statistics may well and truly shadow Sadio Mane’s return, but there is no denying the fact that the Senegalese, who rejected an offer from Manchester United to join Liverpool in 2016, is as important as the Egyptian when it comes to producing a match-winning effort.

Mane, who has scored 15 goals and assisted seven in the Premier League this season, has been an absolute workhorse for Liverpool, grinding on Klopp’s trademark high-press, and equally efficient in defending at the back.

10 - Sadio Mané is the 10th player to score in six consecutive @premierleague appearances against a single opponent, and the second to do so for Liverpool after Mo Salah v Bournemouth. Thorn. pic.twitter.com/OI9bQ19mIQ

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2020

Underrated? Truly so.

In fact, the Senegalese has time and again been the hero for his team. For instance, against Aston Villa back in November, Mane struck a 94th-minute winner, and in February this year, his goal against Norwich gave his team a deserved victory away from home.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Peter Powell, Oli Scarff, Paul Ellis

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk said the English champions-elect are just happy to be back on the field again despite seeing their title party delayed by a 0-0 draw at Everton on Sunday.

The Reds extended their advantage at the top of the table to 22 points, but will need Manchester City to slip up against Burnley on Monday to have any chance of sealing the title when they host Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday.

"I think everyone is just happy to be back, win or lose, and it is another step closer to our goal," said Van Dijk, after Liverpool's first game in 106 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The match was played behind closed doors and the unusual surroundings began before kick-off when Liverpool had to get changed in a Portakabin in the Goodison Park car park to keep players and staff socially distanced. 

"Everyone didn't know really what to expect. It was just good to be back out there. It is a fantastic game to be the first game."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp bemoaned his side's inability to turn domination of possession into chances.

Indeed, it was Everton who had the best opportunity to secure a first derby win in 10 years when Tom Davies hit the post after Alisson Becker saved from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

"Both teams showed it was a derby, even without a crowd," said Klopp.

"We didn't have enough chances for the possession we had.

"Most of the time we were dominant but then they had the biggest chance out of the blue, we were lucky in that moment."

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was glad his gameplan nearly worked to perfection.

"I think considering the fact there was a long break, there was no crowd, the intensity of the game was really high," said the Italian, who also was unbeaten in two clashes against Liverpool with Napoli earlier in the season.

"It was not an open game because we didn't want an open game against them. We didn't give a lot of chances to them. It was a fair result."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Peter Powell

Liverpool has been on the rise since the arrival of one German manager. The advent of their new-found glory has been heralded as one of the biggest success stories in the English Premier League, with Jurgen Klopp making some drastic changes at the club since his arrival.

However, Liverpool wasn’t the first club where Klopp turned fortunes around, with his time at Borussia Dortmund also being praised for breaking the Bayern domination, albeit only for two seasons.

During his time as a professional manager, Klopp has been known for moulding some of the greatest talents in world football. He was also renowned for making some of the shrewdest transfer deals, including the likes of Mats Hummels, Mario Gotze, Nuri Sahin and Ilkay Gundogan. Listed below are five of Klopp’s best signings over the tenure of his time as a professional manager.

Virgil van Dijk

The money from the sale of Philippe Coutinho brought in not one, but two stars for Jurgen Klopp - Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk. However, only one of them makes it to this list after van Dijk cemented his name as one of the meanest defenders of the division over the last few seasons. He arrived at the Kop on New Year’s Day in 2018, marking the rise of a new era in the history books of Liverpool.

Having joined Southampton from Scottish giants Celtic in 2015, van Dijk established himself as one of the best in the league while at the Saints. After moving to the Merseyside, the Dutchman played every single match of the 2018-19 season, making 199 clearances and conceding just 22 goals as Liverpool went on to lose just one match that season.

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His strong show helped him win the Player of the Season as well as the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and UEFA Defender of the year awards in the same year. He also finished runner-up to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or rankings, in just his second full season at Anfield.

Marco Reus

Marco Reus is one of the most legendary players to have played for Borussia Dortmund, having rejected moves to many top clubs during his eight-season tenure at the Westfalenstadion. Having plied his trade at their youth academy, Reus moved to Borussia Monchengladbach for three seasons before making a return under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp, making him one of the German’s most successful January transfers.

The arrival of Reus excited the club and its fans alike, especially because of the fact that the German machine chose Dortmund over Bayern Munich. In his debut season back at the club, Reus bagged 19 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions. He was also a key member of the Dortmund side that went on to reach the Champions League final the same season, beating Ajax, Malaga and Real Madrid on the way.

Although injuries have marred his career constantly, when fit, Reus has been an automatic choice not only for Klopp, but also for every coach at Dortmund after him. He has made 182 appearances over eight seasons, scoring 91 goals for the BVB.

Mohamed Salah�?/p>

The rise to prominence of Mohamed Salah is a well-documented affair. His first tryst in English Football came with Chelsea, but his performances weren’t enough to impress then head coach Jose Mourinho. He left the club on loan to play in Italy, joining Roma on a permanent deal during the 2016-17 season.

After shining for Roma over two seasons, scoring 29 goals in 65 matches, Salah made a return to the Kop for a club-record 50 million euros. His debut season marked the beginning of a new era for the Reds, breaking the record for the most goals scored (32) in a 38-game Premier League season. He hasn’t been able to replicate the same form as his first season, but his strong form has helped guide Liverpool to two Champions League finals, winning the 2018-19 Champions League as well as the FIFA Club World Cup.

Prior to the suspension of the league, his 91 goals in 144 appearances with the Reds has silenced all doubters about his time at the Merseyside.

Sadio Mane

The final Liverpool player on this list, Sadio Mane makes it to this list ahead of another masterclass signing Andrew Robertson, who was brought in for a meagre eight million and has registered himself as one of the best left-backs in the league, with 27 assists in 143 appearances at the Merseyside.

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The Senegalese forward was Klopp’s first big signing at Liverpool, after impressing for two seasons at Southampton, scoring 21 league goals in 67 appearances. His arrival was marked by a stunning debut goal at Arsenal, and Mane ended his first season at Anfield with 13 Premier League goals whilst being named the club’s Player of the Year.

The 2018/19 season was his best on English shores, where he scored 22 league goals, earning him the joint Golden Boot award while being named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time in his three seasons at Anfield.

Robert Lewandowski

Klopp has a knack for identifying true talent, like the addition of Andrew Robertson, as mentioned above. However, one player who owes his magnificent career to Jurgen Klopp is current Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, who was brought in for a measly 3.33 million from Lech Poznan.

Almost close to joining Blackburn Rovers two years prior, the Polish Striker was used regularly as a backup to Lucas Barrios in his debut season, scoring nine goals in 43 appearances in all competitions, while winning the Bundesliga as a bit-part player.

In his second season in Germany, he took advantage of an injury suffered by Barrios and made the forward position his own, leading Dortmund to the Bundesliga as well as the DFB-Pokal trophy. While missing out on making it three Bundesliga trophies in a row, the Polish star led Dortmund to the final of the Champions League, losing to Bayern Munich. He won the first of his many Bundesliga top-scorer awards in his final season at Dortmund, finishing the season with 20 goals in 33 appearances in the Bundesliga before moving to bitter rivals Bayern Munich on a free.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

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There is no denying the impact that Virgil van Dijk has made since arriving at Liverpool in January 2018 for a then world-record fee of £75 million. The towering Dutchman was the missing piece in the puzzle for Jurgen Klopp’s side and since bringing him on board, they have gone on to scale great heights.

From making the UEFA Champions League final in 2017/18 and winning it in the next campaign to following it up with a Premier League title tilt this season, Liverpool have been near-unstoppable. And van Dijk’s contribution to this success is invaluable.

Last summer though, van Dijk was displaced as the most expensive defender in the world. Manchester United splashed a new record fee of £80 million to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City. And naturally, comparisons between the two have been flying ever since.

Maguire has grown into a pivotal player for Manchester United in his debut season. The England international was also handed the club captaincy after Ashley Young’s departure in January.

But how does he measure up against van Dijk when comparing their performances from the 2019/20 season?

Both Maguire and van Dijk have appeared in 29 matches in the Premier League this season, although the former has slightly more minutes than the Liverpool man, who had to be subbed off in a game.

Defence

Both are of similar physical stature, which they put to good use in aerial battles in their own box as well as the opposition penalty area. Maguire has won 136 of his 190 attempted aerial duels this season (71.5 percent), which comes to 4.7 duels won per game. In comparison, van Dijk has a slightly better win percentage of 75.2 (143 wins of 190 attempts), with 4.9 aerial duel wins per game.

Tackles and interceptions are key measures that give an indication of a defender’s performance. Maguire edges van Dijk in both these parameters, averaging 1.1 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game, whereas the Liverpool star posts numbers of 0.8 tackles and one interception every game.

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In total, Maguire has won 32 out of his 45 tackle attempts and affected 53 interceptions, while van Dijk has won 22 out of his 28 attempts and made 30 interceptions. The Manchester United man has made 24 blocks and 132 clearances so far in the top flight, whereas the Liverpool defender has 19 blocks and 135 clearances.

Coming to disciplinary record, van Dijk stands above Maguire, having picked up just one yellow card this season, in comparison to his counterpart’s four. Moreover, the Liverpool man has conceded much fewer fouls (10) than Maguire (24) in the Premier League.

Passing and dribbling

A modern central defender is required to possess ball-playing abilities, which both Maguire and van Dijk do. Both men are able to pick passes accurately and step out of the backline with the ball at their feet when needed.

Van Dijk has completed 2210 of his 2478 attempted passes this season, posting an excellent pass accuracy of 89.2 percent. The Netherlands international makes an average of 85.4 passes and 0.2 key passes every game.

In comparison, Maguire has made 1553 successful passes (1823 attempts) at a success rate of 85.2. The Englishman attempts 62.9 passes per game but outdoes van Dijk when it comes to key passes, with 0.5 every game.

However, one must factor in that Liverpool tend to dominate possession in most matches, averaging 59 percent per game, whereas Manchester United post an average possession stat of 53.3 percent.

The Liverpool star has completed two out of three attempted dribbles this term, whereas the Manchester United captain has successfully completed six out ten dribbles this season. Van Dijk has also been dispossessed fewer times (2) this season, in comparison to Maguire (4).

Attack

Coming to their direct goal involvement, van Dijk stands head and shoulder above Maguire. The Liverpool man has netted four goals and assisted one more, whereas the Manchester United centre-back is yet to open his goalscoring account in the Premier League but does have an assist to his name.

Maguire’s shot accuracy has been quite poor this term, with him hitting the target on just eight occasions out of 26 attempts. Van Dijk, on the other hand, has been on target 11 times in 23 attempts. As a result, Maguire has also missed more big chances (4) than van Dijk this season (2).

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Teamplay

Both Maguire and van Dijk are leaders of their respective teams on the field. And their presence has invariably helped performances for Manchester United and Liverpool respectively.

The fact that Liverpool boast the best defensive record in the Premier League (21 goals conceded) has a lot to do with van Dijk’s performance and his ability to keep things organised at the back.

On the other hand, United are the fourth-best in the league in terms of goals conceded (30), which is a major improvement from last season, during which they had conceded these many by Matchweek 18 itself, showing the impact Maguire’s arrival has made.

With Maguire commanding things at the back, the performances of those around him, especially Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw, have improved drastically. In a similar fashion, Joel Matip looked a much better defender playing alongside van Dijk last season, while he has had the same effect on Joe Gomez this term.

One key stat that proves Maguire’s impact is that he and Lindelof have not made a single error leading to an opposition shot on goal in the 26 matches they have started together in the Premier League. In comparison, van Dijk and Gomez have made two such errors in much fewer games (14) played together this season.

Verdict

Maguire and van Dijk have had terrific seasons for Manchester United and Liverpool respectively, both playing integral roles in their team’s fortunes. Naturally, they are the highest-rated defenders in the Premier League, according to stats experts WhoScored.com.

Looking at the finer aspects of their performances, it can be gauged that defensively, they have been more or less equally good, but van Dijk edges out Maguire when it comes to attacking contributions.

Regardless, it has been said that with their consistent, top-class performances this season, both van Dijk and Maguire have provided ample returns on the sizable chunks of change spent by their respective teams.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff / Paul Ellis

Stats courtesy: WhoScored.com, PremierLeague.com