Van Dijk will lead the Reds to a second Premier League title should they see off Spurs tomorrow.
LIVERPOOL are on the cusp of a 20th record-equalling league title, and it is no less than this decorated club deserve.
One point from their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield tomorrow, and Arne Slot will have led the Reds to their second crown in the Premier League era and achieved it at his first attempt.
It is a glorious position Liverpool find themselves in.
And they, along with the faithful following, know it will be due reward defined by a committed and collective effort that sets them apart from the rest of English football.
Going into the weekend and with a game in hand over second-place Arsenal, Liverpool are 12 points in front, with five matches still to come.
That is how impressive this squad has been this season.
They have only suffered two losses so far in the campaign, somewhat surprisingly to Nottingham Forest and Fulham.
They top more stats columns than most.
For good measure, they have scored the highest number of goals to date: 75.
Mohamed Salah leads the club and league in this department, having tallied 27 goals.
In his bid for the Golden Boot, he leads Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak by six.
And along with the title in waiting, the Egyptian is also the front-runner for the Ballon d’Or award, or Golden Ball.
This award is an annual accolade presented by French magazine France Football since 1956.
It is for a player from across the globe who will have stood as the best in the previous season.
While Australian Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side know that Salah will punish them for any waywardness, they will also be cognisant of the dangers of leaving a few of the home team’s other star attractions unmarked.
Liverpool present a multifaceted threat, making Tottenham’s task more challenging as they strive to win the league in front of their supporters.
The last time Liverpool won the league title, in 2020, Anfield was an empty vessel, without fans – and in the middle of the frightening Covid-19 lockdown.
Skipper Virgil van Dijk has for weeks now been telling his players to stay in the present and focus on the task at hand.
The job is not quite done yet – not until they secure enough points to mathematically rule Arsenal out of the equation.
For van Dijk and Salah, both stars of the 2020 winning squad, triumph tomorrow will also be especially sweet, following their commitments to the most successful English football club.
These two senior players confirmed extensions to their contracts, over the last couple of weeks or so, to remain at Anfield for another two seasons.
Tottenham have been woeful in the Premiership this season, even though they are through to the semi-finals of the Europa League where they will face Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt.
The London side are languishing in 16th place in the league, yet they have done so well in Europe.
Given their league form this term, only a few folks, most of them drawn from the red half of Manchester, will give Spurs any chance of upsetting what a brilliant crowning as league champions it would be for the Reds tomorrow.
