Matthijs de Ligt clears Virgil van Dijk as Man United star dominates Premier League

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Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt continued his incredible run of form in the victory over Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim has finally achieved back-to-back wins in the Premier League after Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield.

Harry Maguire will claim the headlines after scoring a late winner in front of the travelling United fans, but it was a performance that every player involved can be proud of.

Matthijs de Ligt was one of United’s best players on the day, keeping Liverpool’s £125m striker Alexander Isak quiet.

The 26-year-old Dutch defender has quietly been one of the best performers all season, and now he has the stats to back it up.

Matthijs de Ligt tops Premier League centre-backs

De Ligt has been brilliantly consistent for United this season, both playing in the centre and on the right of the back three.

United legend Rio Ferdinand raved about De Ligt and his performances this season, and the statistics prove he is among the best in the Premier League.

Via DataMB, De Ligt currently tops all Premier League centre-backs when it comes to winning defensive duels, having won 37 already in 2025/26.

It means he currently leads the likes of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who endured a shaky performance at Anfield against United.

Matthijs de Ligt is quickly becoming a Man United mainstay

Throughout the 2025/26 season, Amorim has often debated between starting either De Ligt or Harry Maguire as the central defender, but Sunday proved they can play alongside each other brilliantly.

De Ligt has become undroppable through his performances this season, and he is the only defender to have played the full 90 minutes of every Premier League match so far this season.

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Amorim has a tendency to rotate his back three during matches, often making a late substitution, but De Ligt has been the exception and for good reason.

The Dutchman has cemented himself as one of the best in the Premier League, and provided he stays fit, he can form the heart of Amorim’s back three moving forward.