Virgil Van Dijk has won the most aerial duels in the Premier League.

It's challenging to counter arguments from those who believe that Virgil Van Dijk is the best defender in the Premier League this season, especially when looking at his performances and stats. Liverpool is back at their best, and so is Van Dijk. The calmness and assurance he brings to Liverpool are crucial to the team's success. In the league, they have conceded the fewest goals, just 18, and part of the credit goes to Van Dijk, who provides defensive stability with his presence. Van Dijk excels in duels, and he is also the player with the most aerial duels won this season so far.

Most aerial duels won in the Premier League 2023/24: 
◉ Virgil Van Dijk (85)
◉ Ethan Pinnock (85) 
◉ James Tarkowski (82)
◉ Oliver McBurnie (68)
◉ Carlton Morris (67) 

There are several opinions that William Saliba is the best central defender in the Premier League, so we have tried to compare their stats to provide a better overview of their performances this season.

Van Dijk stats in Premier League:
◉ 19 games
◉ 1 goal 
◉ 2 assists 
◉ 153 duels
◉ 76.5 % duel success 
◉ 26 tackles 

William Saliba stats in Premier League: 
◉ 21 games
◉ 1 goal
◉ 1 assists 
◉ 122 duels 
◉ 58.2% duel success 
◉ 22 tackles 

Van Dijk is a better duel player than Saliba, but both are crucial for their teams, and their leadership qualities should not be questioned. Van Dijk has more experience and greater leadership skills, naturally attributed to his age, something Saliba will develop from season to season as he is still young. Both are among the best defenders in the world, and one should simply enjoy watching them in the best English league as they perform at the level they both do this season.