Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Liverpool news: The TWO players that will allow Premier League title challenge - Merson
LIVERPOOL’s centre-back partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will give them the foundation to mount a Premier League title challenge this season.
Liverpool's Joe Gomez completes impressive drills in training
That’s the belief of former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson.
The Reds have won four games from four and sit top of the Premier League table having beaten West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton and most recently Leicester.
First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino put Liverpool in command before an Alisson mistake invited the Foxes back into the match through Rachid Ghezzal.
Yet Liverpool stood strong defensively to see out an important victory despite an underwhelming performance at the King Power Stadium.
Despite their potent front-line of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah having scored seven of their nine goals, Jurgen Klopp’s resilient back-line have received much of the plaudits so far this season.
And Merson believes that Gomez and Van Dijk in particular, whose performances have helped Liverpool earn three clean sheets already, can help Liverpool to rival reigning champions Manchester City for the title this term.
Asked how confident he was that Liverpool would compete with City this year, Merson told Sky Sports panel show The Debate: “Very confident. Very confident. I think they look a real, real good team.
“They went to Palace - a difficult game, Monday night under the lights at Selhurst - and I thought that they were as comfortable as they could be.
The full-backs can bomb forward because both Van Dijk and Gomez have got pace.
“They run, their game management. The centre half, Joe Gomez, is a big plus. There was one point where they were so in control and then Palace broke and one ball through and Zaha was on to it.
“You thought, ‘If Zaha gets away here, it’s 1-1 and there’s two points dropped in a dominant game’. But Gomez got there with his pace and knocked it out for a corner.
“I thought, ‘Wow!’ Van Dijk was outstanding. I just think they’re a real, real good team. The three up front, they’re just going to cause problems.
“I think they’ve got every chance. The full-backs can bomb forward because both Van Dijk and Gomez have got pace.
“I thought last year their Achilles heel was probably on the counter attack, they were open but now with them two at the back and the goalie - I think it’s game on. Van Dijk, his concentration levels, he just looks world class.”
Ex-Liverpool attacker Craig Bellamy added: “They look good.
“We all talk about Van Dijk, even from set pieces, the Palace game in particular - a lot of that win and their attacks were off the back of him winning first contact.
“We all know he’s good on the ball as well but Gomez alongside him, what a good player for Gomez.
“He’s young and raw but out-and-out pace, wants to defend, good on the ball himself, [that makes the] full-backs are comfortable [to get forward].”