Van Dijk: Alisson Is A “Big Leader”

Alisson’s 100th clean sheet for Liverpool is definitely worth celebrating, as is another three points and maybe, just maybe a return to some semblance of a form. With a single goal from Salah and a defensive performance that we can actually be proud of, Virgil van Dijk was right to applaud the Reds’ efforts today.

“We work very hard – you see that today,” he said after the match ended. “The commitment that has been shown, the reaction when we lose the ball is very important, to get the ball back, win challenges, get into challenges. There’s still room for improvement but to get six wins in a row is something that was unheard of this season.”

“Let’s just keep going, enjoy the moment and take it into next season, hopefully, and get a very good season.”

About Alisson, who had plenty to celebrate beyond the clean sheet, he said:

“That’s the biggest quality: how he is as a person, how important he is for the group. On the pitch, his qualities are there to see: the contribution, the saves, the leadership. It’s very important but outside of the pitch he’s just as important with the qualities he has.

“He’s a big, big leader in the group. He’s someone who a lot of players look up to. He’s an example to a lot of players as well, especially goalkeepers. I’m very glad that he’s my goalkeeper.”

“We’ve been very successful. This, for him, is a big moment and hopefully there are many more.”

Liverpool will take a full week off before they face Leicester City next Monday.