Carragher makes astonishing Van Dijk claim after winning Haaland battle

Erling Haaland was restricted to a single shot - and a single touch inside the Liverpool box - during Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday. 

The Norwegian superstar has scored 29 goals in 33 matches across all competitions this season and is coming off a campaign in which he won a treble. 

But the 23-year-old was second-best to Virgil van Dijk during their one-on-one showdown in the Premier League this weekend. 

City’s only goal on the day was scored by John Stones following a Kevin de Bruyne corner, with Alexis Mac Allister cancelling out that effort with a second-half penalty. 

Haaland cut a frustrated figure by the end of the game having been marked out of the occasion by Van Dijk and one Liverpool legend was in no doubt who had the better of the exchange. 

Champions League winner Jamie Carragher puts Van Dijk in the category of all-time Premier League greats and had some high praise for the Dutchman after the game. 

Van Dijk a better centre back than Haaland is a striker

"[It was] brilliant,” he said of Van Dijk in his capacity as Sky Sports pundit. “I said before the game, that the best centre-backs in the world - even in the Premier League -  you look at Tony Adams, John Terry, those types of figures for their clubs and I see him in that same category for Liverpool.

"But the greats look after you at the back, and that’s why he was Man of the Match. Look at who he was up against - Erling Haaland is the best centre-forward in the world and for me, Van Dijk is right up there as the best centre-back but I actually think he’s a better centre-back than Haaland is a striker. 

"That’s how high I rate Van Dijk, he’s absolutely outstanding because when you look at the battle between the league’s best centre-back against the best centre-forward, Van Dijk came out on top."

Liverpool trail Arsenal at the top of the table only by goal difference following the 1-1 draw against Pep Guardiola’s side. 

Next up is Sparta Prague in the Europa League last-16 second leg before a trip to Old Trafford in the FA Cup quarter finals to take on Manchester United.