Virgil’s Reds on the rise

LIVERPOOL’S title bandwagon found another gear at Crystal Palace on Monday – but for once it was not the attacking threat but a defensive performance from one of the smallest teams in the league.

The side that started at Selhurst Park had just two outfield players over 6ft, and six who were 5ft 8ins or shorter.

Only Manchester City this season will come close to fielding a smaller team – and yet Palace, just like West Ham the week before, did not create a single clear-cut chance or trouble new goalkeeper Alisson unduly, despite their obvious height advantage.

The current top two sides in the league have found a way to overcome what has always been deemed a weakness in the Premier League – a lack of height – by keeping possession and defending set-pieces.

Since Christmas, Liverpool have the meanest record in the league for goals and shots conceded, along with clean sheets – and you don’t have to look far to understand why.

Since he arrived from Southampton in a £75million transfer, Virgil van Dijk has more clean sheets than any other Premier League defender.

At Palace, the Reds may have been dwarfed at times, but the 6ft 4ins Van Dijk – along with the other two players over 6ft, Joe Gomez (6ft 2ins) and Alisson (6ft 4ins) – were key in dealing with the high ball, restricting Palace to nine per cent completion on deep set-pieces (corners and free-kicks).

Van Dijk and Alisson, who like the Dutchman commanded a world-record fee for his position at £66.8m, allow Klopp to play the game diligently at

Quality costs and Van Dijk is worth it

he wants in a league which has traditionally favoured height.

The key, the manager has explained, is getting the right people on the end of every long ball.

“There is not just one player responsible for something; we have to have the right formation around set-pieces,” he said.

“Set-pieces are quite different here is England. In the games so far we were not taller than West Ham or Palace, quite the opposite. That is where we have to be organised to defend.

“It is not solely about Alisson, but the whole team.”

Alisson is already making a huge difference. He was catching the corners at Selhurst Park, something no Liverpool keeper had done for a long time.

And when he did not come, Van Dijk headed away – as he did in the final minute in a move that led to Sadio Mane’s goal.

“Virgil’s performance was really, really good,” Klopp said. “Quality costs a specific price. Cars are like that. Lots of things are like that. Players too.

“Nobody thinks about that now, which is good. In this market at the moment he’s at least worth it.”

If it delivers the title, then the £140m on two players will be money well spent.