Even at full time on Saturday, as rumors about the severity of Virgil van Dijk’s knee injury began to circulate, it felt that the most serious consequence of the game may not be the two points Liverpool dropped, but the loss of its best defender. Confirmation on Sunday that van Dijk will require surgery and as a result miss several months, and perhaps the rest of the season, means Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the title are severely reduced.
Manchester City last season lacked leadership after the departure of Vincent Kompany, a problem compounded when Aymeric Laporte suffered a serious knee injury, depriving the club of its best defender as well.