Talking Tactics: Why Van Dijk & Konaté Are the Perfect Duo for Liverpool (Feb 16, 2025)

Adrian Clarke outlines why the central defenders are the bedrock of Liverpool's title challenge

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Football writer Adrian Clarke says Virgil van Dijk is as formidable as he's ever been, and thinks Ibrahima Konate is helping keep the 33-year-old young.

Player analysis: Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)

One of only four outfield players to play every minute of the Premier League season so far, 33-year-old Van Dijk’s value to Liverpool is as important right now as it ever has been.

Entering the veteran stage of his career, you may have expected the centre back’s form or physicality to being showing signs of a decline, but the Dutchman is still performing at an elite level.

In fact, his partnership with Konate has been the foundation of a fabulous campaign that currently sees Liverpool hold a four-point lead at the top of the table.

Van Dijk’s defensive numbers

The Liverpool captain is among the very best in terms of his domination of duels, just as he always has been.

His current data is not quite at the same level as it was in 2023/24 or in some of the previous seasons, but among regular starters across the division, Van Dijk ranks still ranks inside the top five for aerial and ground duel success.

Van Dijk stats compared to last season

Last season and PL rank This season and PL rank*

Duel success 75.58% (2nd) 70.55% (2nd)

Aerial duel success 81.40% (1st) 72.38% (4th)

Aerial duels won 140 (2nd) 76 (=4th)

Interceptions 39 (=11th) 36 (5th)

*Defenders making a minimum of 15 starts

One key difference under new head coach Arne Slot has been his desire to step in and make interceptions.

The Netherlands international has made 36 already, which is only three shy of the figure he recorded over the entirety of the previous campaign. He has never averaged 1.5 interceptions per 90 minutes over the course of a season, so this is a clear area of improvement under his new boss.

Liverpool’s more compact shape and slightly more pragmatic approach has shrunk space for opposing sides.

Van Dijk has been able to step in and intercept the ball more frequently, with the areas he works in smaller than before.

Impactful distribution

Van Dijk’s range of passing is a valuable asset for the leaders.

Happy to take on the "quarterback" role, he has made 1,721 successful passes in this campaign - 224 more than the division’s second-most prolific passer, Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

No one who plays in his position attempts more passes aimed into the final third, thanks to his determination to move the ball forward.

Passes into the final third 24/25

Player Passes

Virgil van Dijk (LIV) 219

Jan Paul van Hecke (BHA) 212

Joachim Andersen (FUL) 198

Illia Zabarnyi (BOU) 196

Confident enough to stroke the ball across his body, sweeping it left or opening up to fire crossfield passes to his right, Van Dijk is terrific at getting both of Liverpool’s wingers into the game.

Given how brilliant Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo have been this season, the service the Dutch defender provides is crucial to the team's success.

FotoJet (4)

Van Dijk loves to find Salah with passes that stretch the opposition, clipping aerial balls to the Egyptian from long range.

In open play he makes more long passes to Salah than any other Premier League outfield player produces to a team-mate.

Those diagonals have become a trademark, and set up so many Liverpool attacks.

Most open-play long passes 24/25

Passer Receiver Total

Matz Sels Chris Wood 52

Jordan Pickford Dominic Calvert-Lewin 34

Aaron Ramsdale Paul Onuachu 34

Virgil van Dijk Mohamed Salah 31

David Raya Kai Havertz 29

Jan Paul van Hecke Kaoru Mitoma 29

Below you can see an image of the 15 switches of play he has attempted, with Salah successfully receiving seven of them.

Van Dijk makes this type of distribution, covering at least 60 per cent of the pitch’s width, look incredibly easy.

FotoJet (4) copy

The only top-flight player to have successfully found a team-mate with more switches of play is his colleague Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has picked out Gakpo on 10 occasions.

Most open-play switches 2024/25

Passer Receiver Total

Trent Alexander-Arnold Cody Gakpo 10

Virgil van Dijk Mohamed Salah 7

Joachim Andersen Antonee Robinson 7

Declan Rice Bukayo Saka 7

Trent Alexander-Arnold Andy Robertson 6

Enzo Fernandez Pedro Neto 6

This weekend’s opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers will need to be very wary of these testing diagonals.

It is an effective way of stretching the pitch out when facing rivals who want to keep a narrow shape.

Is Van Dijk as quick as he used to be?

There is no indication Liverpool’s star centre-back has lost any kind of physical edge.

Van Dijk has been dribbled past six times by opponents across the first 24 games, and while that only happened twice last season, it is still an impressive statistic, and not down to a lack of pace.

Hitting a top speed of 34km/h, he is faster now than he was between 2020 and 2022.

Van Dijk's speed season-by-season

Season Top speed (km/h)

2020/21 32.8

2021/22 33.7

2022/23 34.4

2023/24 34.9

2024/25 34.0

As displayed on numerous occasions this season, Van Dijk still has blistering recovery speed, using it to stem numerous attacks.

Rock solid partnership with Konate

It helps Van Dijk to have a centre-back partner alongside him that is eight years his junior.

In terms of his style of play, Konate, 25, is also cut from the same cloth as the Reds skipper.

Quick, combative and happy to have the ball at his feet, the Frenchman effectively performs the same role as Van Dijk, but to the right of centre.

Their defensive action maps for 2024/25 mirror one another closely…

VVD

IK

While van Dijk is more likely to follow opposition forwards into their own half to engage in physical contact, Konate is like-minded in the way he takes a proactive stance.

Both players love to get tight and show aggression.

Konate is less formidable in 1v1s but does participate in more duels per 90 minutes (11.46) than van Dijk (7.31) and is almost twice as likely to make a tackle, but in general they balance off one another very well.

Liverpool with and without one of Van Dijk and Konate

With Van Dijk and Konate All comps since 18 Sep 2021 Without one of them

79 Games 128

0.9 Average goals against 1.1

69.60% Win percentage 63.30%

Arguably the best central defensive pairing in the Premier League this season, Liverpool’s overall record when these two start matches is superior.

They let in fewer goals and win a greater share of their matches with van Dijk and Konate in the starting XI.

A goal threat against Wolves

No Premier League side has conceded more often from set-pieces than Wolves in 2024/25.

Sunday 16 February

Anfield, Liverpool

Liverpool

19:30

Wolves

They have let in 17 goals from dead-ball situations, five more than the next closest team, Southampton.

Liverpool have not made the most of corners and wide free-kicks as they would have liked - managing just three set-piece goals - but Van Dijk’s presence in the box always makes them dangerous.

The Dutch defender has three goals in all competitions this season, including a crucial header in a 2-2 draw at Arsenal.

No centre-back in the division has attempted more shots or headed shots than van Dijk, so he should probably have scored more goals than he has.

Most goal attempts from centre-backs 24/25

Shots on goal Headers on goal

Virgil van Dijk 45 Virgil van Dijk 25

Fabian Schar 35 Gabriel 21

Lewis Dunk 33 Cristian Romero 17

Gabriel 31 Lewis Dunk 16

At both ends of the pitch, Van Dijk continues to make a tremendous impact.

As Liverpool look to navigate a challenging title run-in, they will be just as reliant as ever on Van Dijk delivering big performances.

He may be 33, but he remains a pivotal figure in the starting XI.