Cody Gakpo's 'difficulty' at Liverpool explained as Ryan Gravenberch impresses team-mates
Virgil van Dijk has praised compatriots Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch after the Dutch duo helped breathe new life into Liverpool's Premier League title challenge.
Gravenberch scored his first top-flight goal and Gakpo posted a man-of-the-match performance including an assist for Diogo Jota as the Reds earned a 3-1 win at Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
The result moved Jurgen Klopp's side back up to second place behind leaders Arsenal on goal difference, although Manchester City are only a point adrift with a game in hand.
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Both Gakpo and Gravenberch have come in for criticism at stages this season following indifferent form, with the former employed in several roles and the latter adjusting to English football having arrived from Bayern Munich last summer for £35million.
And Van Dijk said: "Cody has been outstanding in my opinion since he arrived at the club. The difficulty he has had was he has played in so many positions.
"He’s learning. He’s so important for the club and will be going forward. On Sunday he was outstanding and so was Ryan. To come in, not only just score a goal, but in possession being so good.
"We see day in day out how good he is. When there is a chance for him to play, as there will be, he showed (what he can do)."
All three title contenders have recent experience of battling for the Premier League crown and, with only five games remaining, Van Dijk has explained the very simple message that has been driven home in the Liverpool dressing room.
"We’ve been speaking about that from the first days,"
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