Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are not so much of an awesome pairing as they have not been hitting the numbers anytime they both play in the defense line for Liverpool.
The pair have conceded a total of 9 goals from two matches they started together and it’s not looking like a awesome pairing unlike Virgil and Konate.
Last month, Virgil van Dijk praised Joe Gomez as England’s top center back and predicted that his Liverpool teammate would regain his best form this year.
Last season, Gomez, 25, was left as the Reds’ fourth-choice central defender after Ibrahima Konate excelled after his £35 million transfer from RB Leipzig.
Due to this, the Charlton academy graduate was only able to make 21 total appearances and eight in the Premier League, casting doubt on his long-term future at Anfield.
Gomez chose to dedicate his future to Liverpool instead, and he did so by signing a lucrative long-term deal that would keep him on Merseyside until 2027.
Van Dijk, who signed a new contract of his last year, is happy that he will continue to play with his longtime teammate for many more seasons, and he gave Gomez a supportive message ahead of the 2022–23 season.
“We spoke about it before he signed the deal and I’m just very happy that he’s staying at the club, staying with me,” the Dutchman told Liverpool’s official website of Gomez. “Also, I’m happy for the club that he’s signed.
“He is, in my opinion, [one of] if not the best English centre-back around. Obviously, we’ve both been very unlucky with the injuries we had. Obviously, his time will come again and hopefully this season he can show that.”
Liverpool’s considerable defensive improvement since the arrival of the Dutchman in January 2018 is clearly down to Virgil van Dijk.
And his collaboration with Joe Gomez appears to be a match made in heaven before now.
Joe Gomez has been reliable whenever he plays, despite injuries making him less of a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s starting lineup, and the two of them have been a colossus.
Van Dijk is defending the high transfer fee Liverpool paid Southampton for his services, but Joe Gomez’s pairing with him aims to highlight certain defensive flaws in Van Dijk.
Virgil van Dijk’s flaws were further revealed during Monday night’s game against Manchester United at Old Trafford because he was unable to execute defense that was evidently basic.
Milner was put on his posterior when Sancho, who was set up to fire into the bottom right but dummied, slid instead into the bottom left, which is the one he pulled back for.
When Sancho and Alisson were in front of him, Van Dijk had the opportunity to close down the United’s forward, therefore it’s unclear why he chose not to do so as United scored the game’s first goal.
And as Manchester United took the lead early on in the game, Joe Gomez was nowhere to be seen.
The last time Liverpool suffered a heavy defeat in the Premier League which was a 7-1 loss to Aston Villa last season, Joe Gomez had the chance to pair with Van Dijk.
Unfortunately, Liverpool’s first defeat this season came under the watch of Gomez and Van Dijk which goes to show that they are no longer the best pairing for Liverpool. Hence, the club’s coach, Jurgen Klopp will be anxiously waiting for Konate to be fit again.
