Southampton 1-0 West Bromwich Albion: Four match takeaways

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SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Jose Salomon Rondon of West Bromwich Albion and Virgil van Dijk of Southampton battle for possession during the Premier League match between Southampton and West Bromwich Albion at St Mary’s Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /

Van Dijk’s resurgence

After average performances against Stoke and Newcastle, Virgil van Dijk looked more like his old self this weekend.

Having spent a long time on the sidelines, nobody expected the Dutch defender’s return to first-team form to be instant. And with the media whirlwind that has surrounded him for the past few months, his restoration has been met with a mixed reception from the fans.

Against West Brom there were clear reminders of why Van Dijk has been a fan favourite in the past, and could yet be again. The 6’3” defender formed a solid partnership at the back with Yoshida, but it was his wider game that emphasised his value to the team.

When facing tight, defensive teams like West Brom the midfield gets very crowded, making it difficult for midfielders to find the space to start moves. When this happens the team relies more on the ability of the central defenders to show some creativity.

Van Dijk has shown many times that he is more than capable of this, and did so again in this match. Starting in first half, he strode forward and unleashed a long distance strike that whistled just wide. This was followed up with a series of marauding runs and intelligent forward passes throughout the 90 minutes.

His influence was also felt in attacking set pieces. It may have been Yoshida who got on the end of two of the best chances, but Van Dijk presence clearly worries defenders. This was particularly apparent when he flicked on an early corner, only for Romeu to turn and poke wide.