Not Just a Goal: The Moment Virgil van Dijk Left Everyone Speechless
11 February 2026
Match Highlights
In an exciting Premier League fixture, Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk propelled Liverpool to a 1-0 victory away at Sunderland.
Van Dijk scored the only goal in the second half with a superb header from a corner delivered by Mohamed Salah, after an outstanding defensive and attacking display in this showdown at the Stadium of Light.
Opta stats show Van Dijk stood out tonight by scoring the only goal, as well as clearing the ball with his head 11 times and winning eight aerial duels.
Record and Impact
Thus, he became the first player to achieve this trio combined in a single Premier League match in the last five seasons: scoring a goal, more than 10 headed clearances, and more than five aerial wins, according to Opta.
This goal took Van Dijk's EPL tally for Liverpool to 23, surpassing Sami Hyypia's previous record (22) to become the club's top-scoring defender in the competition.
Punchline: If defense could score, van Dijk would win the league's top scorer award. Not happening, but the crowd would still laugh.
Punchline 2: They say a good defender is invisible; Van Dijk just made the net look small and the jokes even bigger.
