West Ham’s Michail Antonio says Liverpool have a ‘fast’ player who he hates playing against

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Liverpool have been a striker’s nightmare to play against so far this season.

The Reds have conceded just six goals in the Premier League, making them the leanest team in the division by some distance.

And while a lot of that success can be put down to the collective effort, it’s clear that Liverpool also have some individuals who make plenty of difference.

One player who has gotten the better of the Reds defence a few too many times, however, is West Ham’s Michail Antonio.

Antonio has scored six goals in 16 games against Liverpool, with the most recent coming in April’s 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.

But despite his knack of finding the net against the Reds, Antonio has claimed that he is not a fan of facing Virgil van Dijk.

Michail Antonio hails Virgil van Dijk

Antonio’s big personality has led to the 34-year-old becoming something of a star away from the pitch.

Having hosted his own podcast, Antonio has upset Liverpool fans in the past by claiming that he does not like to see the Reds winning.

However, when it comes to individual players, Antonio has always been a fan of Van Dijk.

So, when asked by Gary Lineker on The Rest Is Football to name the toughest defender he’s ever come up against, many will have already known the answer.

READ MORE: Chelsea’s Levi Colwill says something ‘crazy’ happened when he first came up against Virgil van Dijk

“Virgil,” he replies, without missing a beat.

“Just positionally he always knows where to be. He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s strong. 100 per cent.”

“He’s got it all hasn’t he?” Lineker agreed. “He’s got it all as a defender.”

Virgil van Dijk passed fit for Southampton game

Antonio will be far from the only player who gives this same exact answer when questioned on the toughest player they’ve ever faced.

Van Dijk has been dominating Premier League forwards for the best part of a decade.

A trip down memory lane is in store for the Liverpool captain on Sunday, as the Reds head back to his old stamping ground to take on Southampton.

There had been some concern over Van Dijk heading into the game, after the 33-year-old came home early from international duty.

However, Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that Van Dijk is ‘completely okay’ and is training with the team as normal.

While Liverpool would likely be able to manage Sunday’s game without their captain, Antonio’s testimony is yet more evidence that they should treasure him for just as long as they can.