Premier League 2018-19: The most important player from each of the Big Six this season

Liverpool:

Virgil Van Dijk

Everyone connected to Liverpool has been put through the wringer as they battle it out with Manchester City to win the Premier League title after a prolonged wait of 29 years. But if there is one man they can thank for putting them in a position to compete for the throne then that person is none other than their magnificent centre-back Virgil Van Dijk.

It has got tiring, repetitive and a cliche speaking about the impact that the Dutchman has made at this club and how he has turned the Reds into title challenges but there is no denying this fact. There was a moment against Spurs when his impact was perfectly encapsulated. In the second half, Moussa Sissoko found himself running through on goal with Heung Min Son forming a 2v1 situation, with only Van Dijk to beat.

Van Dijk brilliantly cognized the situation and blocked the passing lane to Son and also pushed Sissoko a bit wider, almost forcing him to have a crack at goal with his weaker foot. And as expected, Sissoko struck the ball in the skies with Van Dijk closing in on him as he went to release his shot.

That moment was a microcosm of Van Dijk’s equanimity, reading of the game and nerves of steel. With Liverpool facing a gruelling and nervy end to the season, they will pretty much rely on the Dutchman's presence at the back to take them over the line.