Virgil van Dijk goals surprise highlights where Liverpool have gone wrong this season

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Virgil van Dijk is closing in on an achievement no Liverpool defender has managed in more than 50 yearsThere has been plenty wrong with Liverpool this season. But that, with only one game remaining, they have scored 24 goals fewer in the Premier League than last year's title-winning success goes some way to explaining why have yet to seal even a top-five finish.Of course, it has been a much-changed forward line given the sales of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz and the tragic death of Diogo Jota last summer.Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike were brought in for sizeable fees, only for the former to miss much of the campaign through injury and the latter manfully shoulder the responsibility before his serious Achilles problem last month that could rule him out until next year.Factor in a significant drop in form from Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, and it's not difficult to pinpoint why the Reds, despite still being the fourth-most potent attack in the league, have lacked firepower compared to last season.READ MORE: Ibrahima Konate contract truth emerges as Liverpool uncertainty continuesREAD MORE: What needs to happen for Liverpool vs Bournemouth Champions League play-offIndeed, Ekitike is the only Liverpool player to reach double figures in the top flight having finished with 11.

While Ekitike is the top scorer in all competitions with 17 goals, next is Dominik Szoboszlai with 13 despite spending parts of his time playing at right-back.But the real eye-opener is the sight of Virgil van Dijk in fifth place ahead of the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister and Isak.His brace in the 4-2 loss at Aston Villa last Friday moved him on to eight goals for the campaign, his best-ever tally as a Liverpool player with six coming in the last four months alone. All have been headers, all except the most recent direct from a set-piece and all except two assisted by the effective Szoboszlai.And should Van Dijk find the net in the final game at home to Brentford on Sunday, he will become the first Liverpool defender to score nine goals in a season for 56 years.In the Premier League era, Van Dijk is presently alongside John Arne Riise, who netted eight times in both of the 2004/05 and 2001/02 campaigns although it could be argued many of those came when he was pushed into midfield for games.There are other caveats before the Norwegian.

Steve Nicol scored nine times in 1989/90 and Emlyn Hughes 12 in 1972/73, and while both forged reputations as defenders they were primarily playing in midfield in those seasons.Phil Neal, a dedicated right-back, notched 11 times in 1982/83 and on 13 occasions in 1976/77, but the majority of those came from the spot.Veteran Liverpool supporters, though, won't be surprised to discover the last Reds defender to net as many as Van Dijk in a season without scoring a penalty was the renowned goalscoring right-back Chris Lawler, who plundered 11 times in 1969/70.Van Dijk will have to go some to match that tally on Sunday. All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageGet Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kitThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.