Magnificent Matip shining as Liverpool's star centre-back

Cast your mind back to the start of the 2018/19 season. Liverpool's centre-back partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez had the potential to establish itself as one of the best in the Premier League. Disaster, though, struck at Turf Moor in December as the young centre-back suffered a fracture to his lower left leg, and several setbacks since. 

In that time, Joel Matip, who had started last season behind Gomez in the pecking order, has excelled. The latter started alongside Van Dijk in the eventual Community Shield loss to Manchester City, but it was the former who made a huge impact as he came off the bench to draw Liverpool level at Wembley. 

Gomez then started the 4-1 win over Norwich on the opening day of the season and played  the full 120 minutes in the Reds' Super Cup penalty shootout triumph over Chelsea, but since then; Matip has been in blistering form at the heart of the Reds backline. The Cameroonian may have missed the 2-1 win over Leicester prior to the international break, yet head coach Jurgen Klopp elected to bring Dejan Lovren into the fold rather than use Gomez. 

Gomez's absence has certainly benefitted Matip, however. The 28-year-old has been a revelation alongside Van Dijk, which is all the more commendable with number one Alisson ruled out since his first half withdrawal against Norwich at the start of the season. A change in personnel between the sticks may have dented their title charge, but eight wins from eight and just six goals conceded, the fewest in the Premier League, highlights the ease of which the defence has adjusted to Adrian coming into the side. 

And Matip has rightly had plenty of praise thrown his way. The centre-back's WhoScored rating (7.62) is the best of all defenders and the sixth best in the Premier League overall and for good reason too. The Reds may have only kept two top-flight clean sheets this season, but it's no coincidence that those came in games Matip started. 

What has stood out for Matip, though, isn't the last ditch tackles or the no-nonsense approach to defending the Liverpool goal, but rather than incisiveness to his passing to set Liverpool on the front foot. The Reds' 56.9% possession return is the second best in the Premier League this season, so opponents' priority would be to frustrate Klopp's side and implement a low block to ensure space is at a premium in the final third for the scalpal-sharp triumvirate of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. 

As such, sides would be reluctant to commit too many men forward at the risk of being caught short at the back. So while Matip and his defensive teammates would have ample time on the ball to shepherd possession to the flanks, the defender routinely takes it upon himself to help pry apart staunch opponents. 

Indeed, while Matip has attempted 414 passes across his six Premier League outings this season, 133 (32.1%) of those have been forward into midfield or attack. Now, when sides sit deep, it means it is far easier to play a forward pass from the defence, but Matip is as inclined to play these passes against Chelsea (24) as he is against the likes of Burnley and Newcastle (both 25). 

When you consider that no team has played more forward passes than Liverpool (1361) in the Premier League this season, Matip's willingness to get his head up and pick out a teammate ahead of him, rather to his left or right, has been a key reason for the Reds' 100% start to the campaign. It's also seen him develop a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'passing'. 

Of course, Matip doesn't shy away from the nitty gritty aspects of defending as 1.8 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game suggests, and no matter whether the ball is on the ground or in the air, you can be sure that the Liverpool star will do all he can to alleviate pressure on his goal. Of the 75 players to have contested 25 or more aerial duels, Matip's aerial success rate (87.8%) is the best in England's top tier. 

Sides that face Liverpool may feel inclined to implement a more direct approach in order to bypass the hard working midfield, but with Matip dominant in the air, and Van Dijk no slouch either as his aerial success rate (76.7%) notes, it's no wonder that opposing teams have faltered in their pursuit of a positive result against the Reds. A free arrival from Schalke in 2016, Matip could have found himself on the outside looking in had Gomez not suffered that injury in Burnley almost a year ago. 

However, while Van Dijk has hogged the limelight for the last 18 months, Matip has elected to shunt his Dutch teammate to one side and steal the plaudits, recently culminating in a PFA Fans' Player of the Month gong. It's a huge ask for the defender to maintain his form between now and May in Liverpool's push for the Premier League title, but that he has started the camaign so positively is undoubtedly a boost as the European champions seek to end their lenghty wait for a domestic title.