Saturday afternoon saw Virgil van Dijk pass his first major test of the 2022/23 season.
The Liverpool defender, along with Joel Matip, limited Erling Haaland to very few chances throughout the Community Shield and comfortably won their aerial battles with the Norwegian forward. As is often the case, new strikers arriving in the Premier League often use Van Dijk as the benchmark for what to expect in arguably the toughest league in the world.
One player who will be going head-to-head with the Dutch international this season is Brighton's Deniz Undav, a name many supporters will not be familiar with. The 26-year-old was signed by the Seagulls for £6million during the January transfer window and was immediately loaned back to Belgian first division side, Union Saint-Gilloise, as he looked to achieve the unthinkable.
