Liverpool vs. Man City key battle: Will Virgil van Dijk or Erling Haaland come out on top?

Liverpool and Manchester City will clash on Sunday at Anfield in a match that is sure to draw the eyes of the world.

City have been found guilty of breaching the the Premier League‘s financial rules on an industrial scale, and many teams may feel that they should be punished severely.

The Anfield faithful were arguably denied multiple honours because of City's wrongdoings, so they are sure to make their voices heard on Sunday.

If the Reds are to give the home crowd the victory they crave, they will need their star players to come out on top, including at back.

The Citizens are first with 15 points from a possible 15 in large part because of their immense attack, with striker Erling Haaland predictably at the heart of everything that Enzo Maresca's side have done well.

Liverpool's best weapon against the centre-forward may be centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who has excelled in 2026-27 despite being 35.

Here, FootballWhispers takes a look at the key battle between Van Dijk and Haaland.

Virgil van Dijk vs Erling Haaland: Who will win this battle?

While it is impossible to directly compare a centre-back against a striker, it is clear that both players could experience difficulties against each other on Sunday.

Van Dijk is one of the best duellists in the division, and while Haaland has won 18 duels, the Liverpool star has won 19 and has frequently demonstrated his ability to battle physically imposing attackers.

The Reds star is nearly unbeatable off the ground, with his 14 aerial duels highlighting just how difficult he is to get the better of once in the air.

However, Haaland has already scored five Premier League goals in five games and has only been caught offside twice, meaning he is not only as strong as the best attackers in the world, but also as intelligent.

The Norwegian striker is currently overperforming his expected goals tally having netted five times from an xG haul of 4.1, though his exploits in the final third should not be a surprise.

While some may highlight that Haaland has missed four big chances already this season, every elite number nine misses chances.

A major factor on Sunday could be the home crowd, and that could give Van Dijk a significant boost.

Haaland could find his way onto the scoresheet, but he may have to peel onto the back of other defenders to experience any success.