Virgil van Dijk introduced a new Liverpool team with the first major changes as captain.

The Liverpool captain has changed his pre-match routine and returned to form.

Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin didn’t realise it at the time, their Saturday Merseyside derby matchup at Anfield peaked after just 36 seconds.

The Everton forward came the closest to breaking down Jurgen Klopp’s defence with his early header from Dwight NcNeil’s cross, but Alisson Becker saved it.

While Sean Dyche may lament Ashley Young’s dismissal or the fact that Ibrahima Konate was spared the same fate in the second half as reasons why his team was unable to actually lay a glove on their opponents, a lot of it was down to the superb Van Dijk performance.

The Liverpool captain may not have officially taken over the captaincy since the summer, but this will be his 50th appearance with the armband and he played like a man determined to achieve the feat in the 243rd meeting between the local rivals .

In particular, the first half was 11-versus-11, and was characterized by Van Dyke dominating Calvert-Lewin with his usual balls. While Liverpool’s second centre-back is usually targeted by the opposition’s front line to avoid a one-on-one battle with the Reds captain, Calvert-Lewin involved Van Dijk several times in the first half without success.

The No. 4 won 12 of his 17 duels on the day 10 in the air and made as many as five clearances. In one notable play in the second half, when he lifted a long ball onto his chest, many defenders rejected the ball from his teammate and opted for a simple header.

As well as being sent off for Newcastle, it has been a strong start to the campaign for Van Dijk.
Van Dijk has had to listen to complaints about his form for too long.

Especially from many honest experts and former players from their own country.
He tried to knock down the Dutch captain.

Jamie Carragher wrote of the Reds defender in his Telegraph column on Friday: “Many say Van Dijk is not the same after picking up a knee injury in the Merseyside derby in October 2020.
This is the rewriting of history.

“He had a great 2021-2022, finishing in the top four twice.
Tottenham’s controversial defeat in the final was also Van Dijk’s third defeat in his last 21 league games.

“Knee surgery (in 2020) can hurt in the long term, but recent negative reviews have been based on how well Van Dijk has performed.
“This award is a rare one for a centre-back who had the misfortune of finishing second to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or in 2019.”

As part of a new-look Liverpool 2.0 (to paraphrase Jurgen Klopp), Van Dijk is now the official leader of the men, a very different style of captaincy to that enjoyed by Jordan Henderson for the past eight years.

With the appointment of Trent Alexander-Arnold as vice-captain, there is a general feeling in the Liverpool camp that a different management group has been put in place, a departure from the demanding approach adopted by Henderson and James Milner before their summer departures.

While Van Dijk’s club captain is quieter than Henderson, he sets a good example with Alexander-Arnold and is well received by his team-mates.

“This club has had great captains over the years who have brought out the best in themselves and the team,” Van Dijk said.
“So to be on the roster with these guys wasn’t something I expected when I started playing.

“But the most important thing to me is that I’m part of a leadership team that finds ways to hold the bracelet accountable to the people who wear it.”

One of the things the new captain has decided to do in his new role is to introduce pre-match team meetings with the aim of giving the players a final boost before the match kicks off.

“It was something that we did when I was a Celtic player,” Van Dijk says. And I’ve always enjoyed it because I believe it created the mood for the game and let the spectators know we were prepared to play.

“It can also help the atmosphere with it being so close to the match starting, so if our fans want to join in by building up the noise and adding to the sense of anticipation I certainly won’t complain, even if it makes it difficult for me to make myself heard.”

The attempts to promote a narrative that the 32-year-old is past his prime following his career-threatening knee injury three years ago have occasionally bordered on the desperate, but Van Dijk must remain in top form and be physically healthy for Liverpool to have true, measurable success this season. More than anything, his early-season form is encouraging.