“He can shut them up” – Graeme Souness makes bold claim about battle between ‘modern robot’ Erling Haaland and Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool vs Man City

Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness has shared his thoughts on the upcoming battle between Virgil van Dijk and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland on Sunday (October 16).

The two teams will clash in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday, but both come into the game in contrasting form. The Reds are tenth in the standings, having won just two of their eight games. The Cityzens, meanwhile, are unbeaten across competitions and are second in the league table.

One of the major concerns for Liverpool has been their defensive performances, with Van Dijk struggling to find form. Haaland, meanwhile, has been exceptional for Manchester City, scoring 15 league goals in just nine games.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Souness said that the Reds' defensive travails provide an opportunity for the Dutch defender to block out the criticism. He wrote:

"Haaland looks like a modern robot, and the question everyone will be asking this weekend is how can Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk deal with him? With difficulty, is the facile answer."

He added:

"Irrespective of Van Dijk’s form, irrespective of where Liverpool are at the moment, this is a game he should be licking his lips for. He’s going to be playing against the guy they’re all raving about. He can shut them up. Shut out all that white noise.”

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Virgil van Dijk excited ahead of Liverpool's Manchester City clash

Jurgen Klopp's side are coming off a stunning 7-1 win over Rangers in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.

Van Dijk believes the win should give the team confidence ahead of their clash against City. Sharing his thoughts on the upcoming game, he said (via Liverpoolfc.com):

"It sounds cliche, but these are the games you want to play. You play against the champions; you play against one of the best teams in Europe with probably the most in-form striker, with one of the best midfielders, in my opinion, in the world."

He added:

"So they have a great side, great manager and it's always been tough for both sides – it's not going to be anything different. So we should look forward to it. This (the win at Rangers) will definitely give a little boost – and it should give a little boost to all of us – that we can be very, very good."

The two teams played out 2-2 draws in their two Premier League clashes last season. However, the Reds came out on top against City in the FA Cup final last season and the Community Shield this campaign.