Dutch international football player Virgil Van Dijk recently had his initial one-game ban extended for receiving a red card in an English Premier League match against Newcastle and the subsequent dissent that followed.
Here is a closer look at how the suspension might impact Liverpool over the next few games.
How will Virgil Van Dijk’s suspension impact Liverpool over the next few games?
According to reports, Virgil Van Dijk is only listed as being away until September 16th, so it shouldn’t impact the team too much. The only Premier League game Van Dijk has missed is the one at Anfield that took place on Sunday, September 3rd against Aston Villa, which Liverpool won 3-0.
He is likely to be back for the away clash against Wolves on Saturday, September 16th, unless the Football Association feel his current suspension should be increased. However, this isn’t likely to happen now.
Can Liverpool win the 2023/24 Premier League campaign?
Liverpool are one of three teams with the best chance of winning the 2023/24 English Premier League campaign. However, they are only priced at around 8/1 to win at sites like red 32 sport (better known by most as 32red), meaning The Reds only have an 11.10% implied probability rate of actually winning the league.
They are the third odds-on favourite to win the Premier League, behind second odds-on favourites Arsenal and odds-on favourites (also the current reigning champions) Manchester City. Let’s take a quick look at how these two teams are currently priced:
- Arsenal are currently priced at 7/1, meaning they have a 12.50% chance of winning the Premier League this season
- Manchester City are priced at 2/5, with an incredible 71.40% chance of winning the league
Don’t forget that these odds are subject to change at any time. Upcoming results, injuries, individual performances, and many other things can affect these odds.
Are Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League this season?
No. Liverpool finished the 2022/23 campaign in fifth place, which means they only qualified for the UEFA Europa League. In the English Premier League (EPL), teams must finish first, second, or third to ensure a spot in the Champions League.
Liverpool are in Group E along with Toulouse, Union Saint-Gilloise, and LASK Linz. They are the favourites to win their group and the favourites to go on and win the entire tournament.
For example, if you were – at the time of writing – to place a wager on them winning their group, you would be looking at average odds of around 1/10. In other words, there’s a 90.90% chance they will win their group. They are priced at 3/1 (25.00% chance) of winning the UEFA Europa League outright.
What kind of awards has Van Dijk won throughout his career?
Virgil Van Dijk has won almost all there is to win as a defender. While playing in Scotland for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, he won the league on two separate occasions (2013/14 and 2014/15).
During his time at Liverpool, he has won the Premier League (2019/20), the UEFA Champions League (2018/19), and the FA Cup (2021/22). He has also won the EFL Cup (2021/22), the FA Community Shield (2022), the FIFA Club World Cup 2019), and the UEFA Super Cup: 2019.
On a personal level, some of his most coveted accolades include the Premier League Player of the Season: 2018/19 award, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award (2018/19), the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season award (2018/19), and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award (2018/19), to name just a few.
Where are Liverpool in the league right now?
Liverpool are currently in third place in the league with 10 points after just four games played. Their first game back after the international break is a Premier League game away to Wolves on September 16th, and then on September 21st, they play their first Europa League group stage match against LASK away.
