Jamie Carragher makes huge Virgil van Dijk claim in comparison to Erling Haaland
Jamie Carragher has claimed that Virgil van Dijk is a better centre-back than Erling Haaland a striker following Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
John Stones and Alexis Mac Allister were both on target in a thrilling game at Anfield that has left just one point separating Arsenal, Liverpool and City in the Premier League title race. Van Dijk won the player of the match award for his performance and Carragher hailed the way he helped guide an inexperienced defence through the game.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate both missing the game through injury, 20-year-old Conor Bradley and 21-year-old Jarell Quansah lined up on the right side of Liverpool's backline.
Reflecting on Van Dijk's performance, Carragher said on Sky Sports: "Brilliant. I said before the game, that the best centre-backs in the world - even in the Premier League you look at Tony Adams, John Terry, those types of figures for their clubs and I see him in that same category for Liverpool.
"The best centre-backs don't just play their own game, they control the whole back four and when you look at that back four before the game up against the likes of De Bruyne and Haaland, even Quansah who was outstanding today has to be focused on his own game because of who he's up against and his young age.
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"But the greats look after you at the back, and that's why he was Man of the Match. Look at who he was up against - Erling Haaland is the best centre-forward in the world and for me, Van Dijk is right up there as the best centre-back but I actually think he's a better centre-back than Haaland is a striker.
"That's how high I rate Van Dijk, he's absolutely outstanding because when you look at the battle between the league's best centre-back against the best centre-forward, Van Dijk came out on top."
Van Dijk and Erling Haaland locked horns as Liverpool drew 1-1 with Manchester City (Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)Van Dijk, meanwhile, believes the "sky is the limit" for Quansah who was plying his trade on loan at League One side Bristol Rovers last season. "He's been important," the Dutchman told Sky Sports.
"Every challenge that was thrown his way he dealt with. He was outstanding again. The sky is the limit. He just needs to stay humble and keep working hard and keep improving."
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