Haaland doubles down on Van Dijk claim after debut Premier League season

24 May 2023 , 16:46

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Erling Haaland has picked Virgil van Dijk as his toughest opponent (Image: Optus Sport)

Erling Haaland has hailed Virgil van Dijk as the best defender he has faced in the Premier League this season.

Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm, plundering 36 goals in 34 appearances for Manchester City. The Norwegian has immediately settled into Pep Guardiola’s side and has eight goals more than Tottenham ’s Harry Kane, the next nearest contender for the Golden Boot.

The 22-year-old has gotten the better of just about every defender he has come up against this season. His strength, pace and knack for being in the right place at the right time has made him a nightmare to defend against, but some have done it better than others.

Asked by Optus Sport who is the best defender he has faced this season, Haaland replied: "There’s many good defenders. I have to say, Liverpool ’s Van Dijk is so good. I’ve met him many times with the national team and even when I played in Salzburg, he’s really good. That’s who I can think of right now."

City have faced Liverpool four times in all competitions this season and, surprisingly, Haaland has only scored one goal in those matches. And that strike, in City’s 3-2 win in the Carabao Cup in December, came when Van Dijk did not play.

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Van Dijk managed to keep Haaland off the score sheet in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over City in the Charity Shield and in their 1-0 win in the Premier League in October. Haaland did not feature in City’s thumping 4-1 win over Liverpool on April 1.

Erling Haaland has been impressed by Virgil van Dijk (Kieran Galvin/Getty Images)

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Haaland’s admiration for Van Dijk is nothing new. Speaking to ESPN about their matches in the 2019 Champions League group stage while at Red Bull Salzburg, he said: "You know how tall he is, how strong he is and how fast he is, and also the timing is crazy. I don't think I won one duel against him because he's a physical monster."

There is mutual respect between the two, with Van Dijk previously saying: "Haaland is a special striker. He's so strong, he's quick, he's got all the attributes to make a defender's life very difficult.

"The first time [I played him] was when he came on at Anfield. He was at Salzburg and he got a tap-in and he scored. Obviously in the away game he didn't. He got subbed after 65 minutes or something but it was a very tough one, he was very quick, aggressive, very direct."

Haaland has the chance to add to his goal tally when City play Brighton on Wednesday night before concluding their triumphant Premier League campaign against Brentford on Sunday. He could still end the season as a Treble winner, with City in the FA Cup final and Champions League final.

Felix Keith