Liverpool’s game against Manchester City showcased the talents of the two best squads in the country and two men in red caught the eye.
Writing for BBC Sport, Garth Crooks selected his Premier League team of the week and wrote: ‘Virgil van Dijk: I don’t often select a defender whose team concedes two goals away from home but this is one of those occasions when I am prepared to make an exception.
‘The Manchester City match wasn’t a game for the faint-hearted. You need focus and nerves of steel to get through this sort of fixture and Virgil van Dijk has plenty of both.
‘Sadio Mane: We didn’t see an awful lot of Sadio Mane in the first half but he was everywhere for Liverpool in the second half against Manchester City. You don’t get a lot of fuss from Mane. He just gets on with it’.
It was a freak game for all involved, everyone played so well but because the opposition was so good – it didn’t end in the usual three points we want and expect.
For Virgil van Dijk to be recognised despite the two goals conceded, it just shows how brilliant his performance was and Sadio Mane’s goal was enough to gain a place alone.
Less than seven weeks from now and the season will be over, so it’s all about keeping our performance level high and achieving as much as we can!