Jason Cundy is adamant Everton pair James Tarkowski and Conor Coady are playing better than Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk. He also rates William Saliba and Eric Dier higher.
Van Dijk has been a mainstay of Jurgen Klopp’s plans at Anfield so far this season. The 31-year-old has played every minute of the Reds’ seven Premier League games, three fixtures in the Champions League and also the Community Shield. He has also hit one league goal.
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Tarkowski has similarly been a mainstay of Frank Lampard’s plans at Goodison Park after a free summer transfer from Burnley. The 29-year-old has not missed a second of top-flight action in royal blue so far. Coady has played 621 of a possible 630 minutes for the Toffees.
Lampard brought Tarkowski and Coady to Merseyside over the summer to strengthen his defence. The former had left Burnley at the end of his contract in June following the club’s relegation. Coady joined Everton on loan from Wolves with an option to buy for just £4.5m.
Both Coady and Tarkowski have justified Lampard’s desire to sign them by taking Everton’s defence to another level. They have improved the sense of leadership at the back tenfold to what the Blues’ other options give. They have also made the Toffees’ unit tougher to break.
Whilst on the other side of Stanley Park, Van Dijk has arguably not hit the same heights he previously achieved. The Dutchman has been a steady performer under Klopp with a flurry of decisive actions across his outings. Yet his levels can drop, particularly when on the ball.
Cundy does not rate Liverpool ace Van Dijk among the Premier League’s best
Van Dijk’s mixed displays have left Cundy majorly underwhelmed with what the defender has offered Liverpool. He does not view the 49-cap international to be among the best the Premier League currently boasts. He also feels injuries have taken their toll on his abilities.
“Van Dijk is nowhere near the top three, four, five or six centre-halves in the country right now!” Cundy told talkSPORT. The former Chelsea defender added: “I’m telling you now, Van Dijk is a brilliant centre-half. But the longevity, the injuries have killed him, they have.
“Tarkowski has had a better season than him, Coady, Dier, Saliba… He’s been a brilliant centre-half, but this has got to stop. He’s living off some sort of train that didn’t actually leave the station.”
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