BBC pundit shares what Virgil van Dijk is ‘100 per cent’ going to do against Erling Haaland on Sunday

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Liverpool take on Manchester City this Sunday as the Premier League’s top two go head-to-head.

It’s a game that has often decided the title in recent years and could well have the same effect this time around. For a change, Liverpool have the chance to enter the run in having faced City on their own patch.

The game gives the Reds the chance to go four points clear of their title rivals, while City can leap-frog them with a win. One of the key battles looks set to be between two of the division’s outstanding players so far this year; Virgil van Dijk and Erling Haaland.

The pair have locked horns in the past, with Haaland always complimentary towards Van Dijk. And speaking to the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast ahead of the game, pundit Nedum Onuoha says he expects the Liverpool defender to make life tough for the league’s top scorer.

“Van Dijk is feeling himself and rightly so,” Onuoha explained. “This is as good a period of football he’s played in a while and he knows his team’s good as well. As far as a head-to-head goes, I think if you focus too much on those two doing what they are doing, there’s loads of stuff happening elsewhere which is going to have a bigger say on the game itself.

“But I think in terms of Van Dijk trying to make it as difficult as he can for Haaland, he’s going to 100 per cent do that. But Haaland has a sense that he’s always going to get chances, but on the day he’s going to be judged by did you score them or did you not.”

Van Dijk set for Haaland battle

Having turned in a great season so far, Van Dijk doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. Even if Haaland gets the better of him on Sunday, he’s still been one of the best players in the Premier League.

But if there’s one man who you’d back up against City’s relentless Norwegian, then it will always be Liverpool’s No.4.

Throughout most of his career at Anfield, Virgil has been regarded as the best centre-back in the world. That may have wobbled a little last year, but it’s certainly true once again now.

If anyone can stop Haaland, then it’s him.

It’s probably also true to say that although he’s still top scorer in the league this year, City’s No.9 hasn’t been quite as ruthless as he was last year.

In 2022/23, it felt virtually inevitable that Haaland would score in any game he played. The goals have still been flowing this time around, but not as freely.

As a result, Van Dijk would be right to fancy his chances of keeping the Norway superstar quiet at Anfield.

Haaland did get a goal against Liverpool in the return fixture at the Etihad, as well as in last year’s Carabao Cup game, which Van Dijk didn’t play in.

But he was shackled expertly at Anfield by Virgil and Joe Gomez. Do the same again, and Liverpool will have a good chance of getting an enormous three points.