Virgil van Dijk's form has come under the spotlight during Liverpool's difficult run of form but the Liverpool captain led his side to a much-needed win against Aston Villa at Anfield
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa at Anfield on November 01, 2025 in Liverpool, England
Virgil van Dijk admits that his performances came into sharper focus during Liverpool's run of poor Premier League form(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
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Even in the most febrile Anfield atmosphere this season, even against a team whose challenges carried an extra bite of determination, even against a press that was more intense than normal, Aston Villa sensed a vulnerability. For all the adrenaline, for all the impassioned support from the stands, Arne Slot’s men were always going to be anxious.
For Unai Emery’s side, the task was simple. Get an early goal and feel that anxiety spread around the stadium.
Morgan Rogers did his best, his powerfully elegant hit punching the post, and a deflected Matty Cash hit brought some impressive aerobatics out of Giorgi Mamardashvili. But when Evann Guessand fiddled his way through the penalty-area attentions of Andy Robertson, it looked as though the Villa breakthrough might materialise.
Instead, across came a familiar figure to put an emphatic end to the danger. To such an accomplished operator, it was just a piece of routine work.
But to the Kop, it carried significance. To adapt a phrase once used by a pundit whose name would crop up later, the big man was back.
Virgil van Dijk was back. Back to his commanding best, back to marshalling a defence that kept its first clean sheet in seven weeks.
If there have been two characters whose roles in Liverpool’s slump have been highlighted, it has been the Anfield captain and Mohamed Salah, whose 250th Liverpool goal set the champions on their way to a much-needed win that was confirmed by a second half strike from Ryan Gravenberch. They might suggest their form had been harshly judged but it was no coincidence the two long-standing luminaries of Slot’s team were back to something like their shining best against Villa.
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Aston Villa in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025
Mo Salah's opener against Aston Villa was his 250th Liverpool goal(Image: AP)
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Van Dijk, though, bridles at the suggestion that himself and Salah have not been setting the right tone, saying: “Last year we didn't hear anything about this, because things were going well, and we were also seen as the leaders. This year when things are not going as well as we want, then we're not doing our job properly. So that's the life we live.”
But Van Dijk does acknowledge that he feels a particular responsibility when things are going awry, saying: “I know that if we have not the best results or not great performances, then myself and the manager will definitely always be questioned. And when there are difficult moments, I try to help my teammates. I try to put them in front of me and want to make them perform in the best possible shape.”
While he might have been questioned in some quarters, there has never been any feeling within the club that Slot’s position was under any sort of pressure. Van Dijk said: “I've heard the reports about him being under pressure and stuff but I don't think we play at a club that do rash decisions.
Ryan Gravenberch celebrates
Ryan Gravenberch's deflected strike sealed Liverpool's win over Aston Villa at Anfield
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“I think we all felt, and I think you all can agree on that, that we can work our way out of this. Obviously ,it's not a guarantee, but we can do it together.”
As for his fellow senior pro, Salah puts Liverpool’s difficult spell down to the changes in personnel, saying: "It's a very tricky season for us because we have a few new players. They are very good players but they need time to adapt.
"We lost some players too. It takes time to adapt and know each other's games, but everything will be fine."
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