(Video) Are you watching, FSG? – Indefatigable Van Dijk gets Liverpool out of trouble early on

Virgil van Dijk yet again illustrated his massive importance to Liverpool in the opening exchanges against Brentford this afternoon.

The Reds headed to west London in need of a victory after some recent stumbles in the Premier League, and the first few minutes were end-to-end as both teams threatened to net an early goal.

Bryan Mbeumo was especially lively from the get-go, forcing Kostas Tsimikas into a seventh-minute yellow card, although even the all-action Cameroonian met his match in the LFC captain.

Van Dijk brilliantly thwarts Mbeumo

In the 10th minute at the Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford’s number 19 actually beat Van Dijk to a 50-50 ball just inside the home team’s half of the pitch and continued to surge forward with menace.

However, just when it looked as though Liverpool might be in trouble, their skipper made up several yards on Mbeumo by getting back and expertly dispossessing the Bees attacker with a perfectly timed interception, and Ryan Gravenberch then mopped up the loose ball.

Get Van Dijk’s contract sorted soon please, FSG!

As every Reds fan knows all too well, Van Dijk is one of three crucial players whose contracts at the club will expire in just over five months’ time, and there have even been claims from Saudi Arabia that the 33-year-old is closing in on a move to the Middle East.

If FSG are watching events at the Gtech Community Stadium this afternoon, they’ll have seen just how essential a cog the man in the number 4 shirt continues to be in the Liverpool machine, and it’s baffling how his contractual situation has been left hanging so delicately.

The captain doesn’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘lost cause’, as he illustrated by racing back to snuff out the danger from Mbeumo in the first 10 minutes in west London.

That passage of play from Van Dijk is an example to any young players not to give up on the possibility of winning possession after losing out on a 50-50 duel, and we’ve no doubt that Arne Slot was applauding raucously on the touchline.

Come on, FSG – get the skipper’s contract sorted out soon, please!

You can view Van Dijk’s interception on Mbeumo below, taken from beIN SPORTS’ match coverage and shared via @AlsbtA37630 on X:

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— السبت الممتاز (@AlsbtA37630) January 18, 2025

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