Virgil van Dijk is past his best but still crucial to possible Liverpool title challenge

Van Dijk, 35, is past his peak but remains crucial to Liverpool's title push, with pundits Stelling and McCoist agreeing he's still among the Premier League's best defenders.

Liverpool sit fourth on 15 points after eight matches, having won six of their last seven games in all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over Brighton on Sunday. The Reds are three points behind Arsenal with a game in hand and appear genuine contenders for the 2026/27 title.

Virgil van Dijk, now 35 and in his tenth season at Anfield, has started every league fixture this season. On talkSPORT Breakfast, Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist debated whether the Liverpool captain is past his best. Stelling acknowledged Van Dijk is "fractionally past his best" but insisted he remains "right up there amongst the very best" centre-backs and would be essential to any Liverpool title challenge. McCoist agreed, saying Van Dijk won't return to his peak—when he was "probably one of the best centre-backs the country has ever seen"—but remains vital to maintaining Liverpool's challenge over the next few seasons.

Liverpool face Arsenal at home on Sunday, with Manchester City playing Brighton a day earlier. Brighton host Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.