Jurgen Klopp has admitted he was ‘a bit surprised’ to hear that Virgil van Dijk’s goal against Sheffield United on Wednesday was the Dutchman’s first of the season.
The Reds skipper put his side ahead in the first half before Dominik Szoboszlai sealed all three points for the Merseysiders at Bramall Lane with a superb finish in second half stoppage time.
Our No. 4’s effort, which saw him volley home from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner, was his 20th goal for the club since joining from Southampton in 2018 and Klopp admitted after the game that set-pieces are a ‘massive help in tight games’ like the one against Chris Wilder’s side.
He said, as per Liverpool’s official website: “All offensive players are invited to score goals, all of them.
“Virg scored, I heard, [it was] his first goal [of the season]. I was a bit surprised, I thought he scored already but maybe it was a different competition or last year, I don’t know. But set-pieces are a massive help in tight games. They were really good today.”
The Netherlands international poses a huge threat from set pieces with his towering presence and impressive heading ability.
It was somewhat surprising to hear that his strike against the Blades was his first of the season but his main priority is to prevent goals rather than score them.
As well as getting himself on the scoresheet he did also help Liverpool to their seventh clean sheet of the campaign (across all competitions).
He will be eager to do exactly the same on Saturday when the Reds travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace.