Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has showered praise on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
The 22-year-old has been in terrific form for the Blues, having scored eight goals in the Premier League already.
The young England striker tops the Premier League scoring charts, but he has revealed that he has struggled against the Dutch defender.
Abraham played for Chelsea in their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at the end of last month. He failed to score on that day, and has now named Virgil van Dijk as his toughest opponent.
The youngster has hailed Van Dijk, UEFA’s Player of the Year, as a ‘beast’, saying his understanding of the game is at a top-level.
“He’s a beast,” said Abraham to The Mirror. “He’s just good at what he does. He’s experienced. I try to do a little… I try to use my tricks in my head but his understanding of the game is top drawer.
“It is to do with little things. Movement. My movement in the box, some defenders don’t pay attention to me – they are only focussed on the ball.
“With him, it’s kind of both, he’s paying attention to me and the ball, knows where I am, knows where I want to go, follows me. It’s quite annoying for a striker – just leave me alone!”
Van Dijk is world-class
There’s no doubt that the Dutch defender was the best defender in Europe last season. Liverpool paid big money for his signature, but he has proved that he is worth every penny.
Liverpool have made a strong start to their 2019-20 Premier League campaign, winning all of their opening eight Premier League games.
Van Dijk, who is on £180k-per-week wages at Liverpool, has played in all of them and has a goal to his name as well.
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