Alisson the rock in Liverpool’s solid defence, says Virgil van Dijk

• Goalkeeper vital to defensive improvement this season
• Van Dijk: ’It’s important to have such a guy behind’

There was a grin from Virgil van Dijk before giving his assessment of Alisson’s contribution to Liverpool’s victory over Napoli. “He was there to do his job,” the defender said. Bear hugs and effusive praise could come from others.

Van Dijk was, of course, correct, although a Liverpool goalkeeper doing his job so well, so consistently and so decisively feels a novelty in the context of Anfield’s recent history.

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