Erling Haaland has just given a definitive answer to biggest Virgil van Dijk question of all

The speed at which Erling Haaland stormed through Anfield's post-match mixed zone was enough to prompt a wisecrack from one particular media knave on Sunday.

As the Manchester City striker charged through at pace, with his head bowed, refusing to stop and speak about the pulsating draw he had just been a part of, it was drolly suggested it was the sharpest turn of pace seen from the striker all day.

The one-liner was met with amusement from some but there was also a kernel of truth to the put-down given the expert shackling of arguably the world's best frontman at Anfield by Virgil van Dijk and Jarell Quansah. That, in fact, might have formed part of the conversation had the City man actually stopped to speak.

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Haaland's only goal at Anfield remains the back-post tap-in he registered for Red Bull Salzburg in a 4-3 win for Liverpool in October 2019 and while he has only turned out twice for City at the venue they like least in English football - just one behind-closed-doors win there in over 20 years - the Norway international once more looked a pale imitation of the irrepressible goal machine who usually etches his name on to the scoresheet one way or another.

If the one criticism of Haaland is that he is sometimes anonymous in the bigger games when a more sizable contribution than simply supplying the finishing touch is needed, that perhaps does a disservice to the centre-backs tasked with stopping him.

Certainly in the case of Van Dijk, who was flawless once more in an unfamiliar back five that saw him as the only recognised 'first choice' for