Chris Sutton makes bold claim about Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk

Chris Sutton believes that the Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is not the player he once was and references the Jordan Pickford challenge in 2020 as the reason why.

Van Dijk, 32, has been in great form this season for club and country and has rediscovered a high playing level after taking the captain's armband from Jordan Henderson after his departure this summer.

The Reds have been in brilliant form losing just twice all season, with one of those being when Van Dijk wasn't involved, and Jurgen Klopp's side are pushing at the top of the table once again as they currently sit two points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Bar his red card suspension for a last-man tackle on Alexander Isak in the 2-1 win over Newcastle earlier this season, the Dutchman has been virtually faultless. In fact, he's been outperforming near enough every centre back in the Premier League and he has rediscovered something near his top level of form as he is yet to be dribbled past this season.

However, despite his renaissance, Sutton doesn't believe he will ever reach his best form ever again. "At the start of the season I said the most important part of this Liverpool team was the defence and how that clicked because when they won the league it was to do with how stingy their defence was." He said speaking on the Mail Sport's podcast.

"We just have to accept because of the Pickford challenge, he [Van Dijk] is not going to be the same again. He's not going to suddenly go back to having that pace. And this was after it got to a stage where attacking players just did not know how to beat him. But that's not the case anymore." Back in 2020, Liverpool and Everton played out one of the most controversial and heated Merseyside derbies of recent times as Van Dijk was clattered by Pickford which resulted in him missing almost the entirety of the 2020/21 season.

We wrote earlier last month about Van Dijk's form; halfway through November he had made no errors leading to a shot, had zero dispossessions and he hadn't been dribbled past and he boasted the highest duel success rate in the league for defenders. Of course, he may never get to the level he was in 2019, but he remains one of the best defenders around and a key reason why Liverpool are back challenging at the top of the table.