Liverpool defender Joel Matip continues to impress.
Liverpool kept another clean sheet at the weekend and Joel Matip strengthened his partnership with Virgil van Dijk.
Matip rarely gets the praise and accolades of the Dutchman, who was nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
BBC pundit Garth Crooks picked both defenders in his team of the week, reserving particular praise for Cameroon ace Matip.
Crooks praised Matip’s passing, commending him for taking an attacking approach.
He said: “The improvement in Matip’s performances since the arrival of Van Dijk at Liverpool has been amazing. I have said before that Matip has been prepared to do a lot of the heavy lifting in Liverpool’s defence – a role that can be physically demanding at times but one that is immensely rewarding too.
“Against Sheffield United, it was his ball distribution that impressed me. Making passes into strikers from deep positions can be a risky affair and takes courage. Matip seems to be fearless at the moment.”
Last season Matip’s passes forward were viewed nervously by Liverpool supporters at times.
As he has grown in confidence, he has begun to perfect when to make the passes and how, and Liverpool are better for it.
Crooks added that Matip’s excellence is bad news for England ace Joe Gomez, and it is, but there just isn’t much the youngster can do about it right now other than be patient, and grab his chance when it comes.
For now, there is no reason for Liverpool to move away from an increasingly successful Van Dijk and Matip partnership.
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