Arne Slot has a new hero at Liverpool after what West Ham star said | OneFootball

Liverpool beat West Ham United 5-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Going into the clash, nobody knew how things would pan out for either side with some even thinking that the Reds would get beaten by Nuno Espirito Santo's men.

However, that evidently wasn't the case as the Anfield outfit managed to add another three points to their tally.

The reigning Premier League champions are still a few points outside of the top four spots but, since Arne Slot's men have won all four of their last games across all competitions, the turning point in their campaign could finally be upon us.

However, this recent upturn in form wouldn't have been possible if one Liverpool player hadn't taken his performances up a level or two and now, it feels like he could become Slot's new hero.

West Ham United failed to stop Virgil van Dijk despite making it their mission to try and stop him

Liverpool's Premier League title win wouldn't have been possible if Mohamed Salah didn't break multiple records last season.

The Egyptian King was the Reds' star man last season and his 50 + goal contributions were what set the Reds apart from their Premier League rivals.

However, since the 2025-26 season first kicked off, things just haven't clicked for the attacker which has meant that other people, such as Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai have had to step up.

The last few weeks have been some of the best performances that Van Dijk has put in this season and without him, it's unclear where Liverpool would be.

West Ham knew that the Dutchman was in top form with Mateus Fernandes even admitting that the Hammers specifically tried to stop the centre-back having an impact on the game.

"Frustrating because we played really well in the first half. We conceded three goals form set pieces. These are the details when you play against these big teams. The small details are the difference," he said to Sky Sports.

"We went into the second half believing that everything could change. We tried, scored fast. After their fourth goal, they killed the game. We try to look for the good things, now we need to be better on set pieces.

"Three set pieces, we worked this week about Van Dijk. We tried our best and this is football. We have another game, we need to win the game.

"We are getting better every week. We know the quality of our squad, the manager. We need to be ready for the next game. Rest well, eat well, drink well."

Virgil van Dijk could become Liverpool's saviour this season

As mentioned, since Salah has been out of the equation for most of the 2025-26 season, others such as Van Dijk have had to step up.

And, although the centre-back's performances over the last few years have already made him a hero to some Liverpool fans, his recent performances have proven how good he actually is.

Of course, there have been times when questions have been asked about whether the 34-year-old has what it takes to lead Liverpool's defensive line but, since then, those doubts have been cleared away.

If Van Dijk continues this run of form and keeps scoring goals and keeping opposing players away from the Reds' net, he could become Liverpool's hero.

On the face of things, the 2025-26 season isn't likely to end positively for Liverpool.

However, if the centre-back can keep his performance levels to this standard, winning the Champions League or the FA Cup may not be out of the question.

Indeed, there's still a few months until that's going to be decided but for now, it feels like there's still some sort of hope lingering around Anfield, especially with Van Dijk leading the way.