Van Dijk’s decline signs are showing: Pat Nevin

Liverpool’s debate about Virgil van Dijk being at his prime has reignited after the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth and fresh criticism from Pat Nevin writing for BBC Sport.

The captain scored our first-half header to drag us back into the game, but his mis-control in the build-up to their opener was a costly moment in a chaotic afternoon.

Nevin’s argument is not that Van Dijk has suddenly become a poor defender, but that the smallest physical drop can change how elite centre-backs survive in the Premier League.

“Rio was 34 years and nine months, Virgil Van Dijk is just two months short of that and sadly the miles on the clock are showing just a little more every week.”

That line will land with a lot of people because, at 34, we are naturally watching for any sign the ‘peak’ years are behind him.

At the same time, Arne Slot’s selection choices show just how strongly he still values Van Dijk’s reliability.

Van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister have played the most games for us this season, which is as strong an endorsement as you can get from a manager as to who he most relies on.

Van Dijk Premier League stats show why Slot keeps relying on him

The data backs up the idea that Van Dijk remains a consistent performer across the season, even if the odd error has stood out more sharply than it used to.

Virgil van Dijk – Premier League 2025/26 (via SofaScore)

The passing volume and accuracy still scream “controller”, which is central to how we try to build under Slot.

He is also winning his aerial work at a high rate, which matters in a league where set-pieces are deciding games.

But the “errors leading to goal” figure underlines why criticism spikes so quickly when things go wrong.

Is Van Dijk still at his prime or entering the final phase?

Nevin’s warning is essentially about the speed of decline, not the level Van Dijk can still reach right now.

“One of the finest central defenders the Premier League has seen isn’t finished yet and he is still the best centre-back at the club and currently capable of doing the job.”

That is the key point for us, because it separates “not peak” from “no longer good enough”.

There are also critics who think the drop has already been obvious for months.

Chris Sutton was blunt about it. “You then look at Van Dijk, his levels have dropped, and you’re talking about stars whose levels haven’t just dropped but dropped significantly.”

Even so, Liverpool have no intention of selling him this year, with reports that the plan is to let him see out the remaining 17 months of his deal and keep him central to next season as captain.

That stance makes sense when you look at our situation in the table, because we cannot afford to create another major problem while we are already trying to climb back towards the top four.

We are sixth on 36 points, with Chelsea fifth on 37 and Manchester United fourth on 38, which leaves very little margin for disruption.

The fairest conclusion is that Van Dijk may not be at his absolute physical peak anymore, but he has still been one of our most consistent performers and one of the main reasons we have not slipped further.

The priority now is not panic, but protection: we need credible centre-back support alongside him so we are not one bad week away from a larger collapse.

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