Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate named as the most dominant defensive pair in the Premier League

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Liverpool are blessed with some of the best players in the world, and their statistics back it up.

The Reds have kicked off this new season in fine form, winning all six of their games in all competitions and currently leading the Premier League with a five-point gap between them and their nearest rivals.

Their most recent match showed the quality they are capable of, with a 2-1 win over Everton secured with an electric first-half performance as Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ektike’s goals sealed a victory.

While they may be conceding goals this season, the squad still have the best defensive pair in the world with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate leading the backline.

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Since signing for the club, Konate’s partnership with the experienced great Van Dijk has been a pleasure to watch, and their numbers prove why they are so pivotal to the team’s success.

This season, Liverpool have been able to keep two clean sheets despite some rocky moments as their side has dominated in forward areas.

However, Van Dijk and Konate are currently the top two ranked players in the league for aerial duel success rate, proving why their partnership is pivotal in reducing the number of goals conceded and chances created from balls over the top.

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The Dutchman leads the way between the pair with 28 successful duels out of 35 (80% success rate) challenged in the 2025/26 season after five games.

The Frenchman is not far behind with 19 of his 24 duels won successfully, a brilliant 79% success rate.

To put that into perspective, the player in third position, Newcastle’s Fabian Schar, has a success rate of 72% which, while still impressive, is comfortably below the Liverpool pair.

What it does prove is that these two are a necessity for this side’s success, and even if the defence is strengthened further in January or next summer, keeping Konate at Liverpool is important for maintaining this success.

It is early days in the league and other competitions, but if their performances are maintained and even improved, they will be hailed as one of the big reasons for any eventual successes.

With all the rumours about Konate looking towards a Real Madrid move next summer, only winning the Champions League and/or the Premier League will keep him at Liverpool.

There is talk of Marc Guehi and Dayot Upamecano maybe making their way to the club, whether the French player departs or not, but the success in competitions will mean they could keep him and still buy another backup.

The money spent this season was built up from previous years, and winning the league title, taking Europe’s or England’s top prizes, means that there will be enough money injected into the club to offer Konate a sizeable contract offer.

Joe Gomez will likely depart, potentially for a fee, leaving space for another new centre-back to join the bench alongside the young Giovanni Leoni, so there is enough depth to rotate in that area.

It is a wait-and-see with Konate, but his importance to the backline makes him an asset to this team, and he should remain at Anfield as part of the defence.