Arsenal's William Saliba isn't best Premier League centre-back this season - it's this Liverpool star instead

The hill - a good place to rest atop, a bad place to be over, a great song off Bombay Bicycle Club's debut album, and a fitting place to die upon. Depending on who you ask Virgil van Dijk is either one of the former two, and whichever response they give usually means they themselves are willing to do the latter.

For the longest while it was blindly accepted that the Liverpool centre-back was not just the best in the Premier League, but the best in the world. Instrumental and catalytic, the Dutchman's arrival at Anfield, along with that of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, came to represent a watershed moment in the Reds' fortunes, with success - both domestic and continental - following in short order.

In more recent times, however, there have been doubts. Last season in particular, Van Dijk looked a shadow of his former self - sluggish and doddering where he was once whetted and imperturbable. As his crown slipped, many contested that his mantle as the best centre-back in the top flight had been soundly usurped, with Arsenal upstart William Saliba assuming the title in the eyes of most casual onlookers.

But I'm here to tell you, dear reader, that - much like the mullet or Brendan Fraser - Van Dijk is back in a big way; and he is thriving. According to the pencil-pushers at Whoscored, no central defender in the Premier League has averaged a higher average match rating than the 32-year-old this season, and only Newcastle United full-back Kieran Trippier marginally pips him with regards to defenders across the board.

It's not hard to see why he is currently held in such high esteem either. So far this season, the Dutchman has recorded 4.7 aerial duels won per 90 minutes in the top flight, with only Brentford stalwart Ethan Pinnock averaging more. (And even then, he eclipses Van Dijk by just 0.1 per game.) Elsewhere, the Liverpool talisman ranks in the top four in the division for both clearances and blocks made, and while he may not sit quite as highly when it comes to tackles or interceptions, that is partially a reflection on Liverpool as a team, and partially a hallmark of the measured, anticipatory style that has stood the defender in such good stead throughout his time in England.

Then there is his proficiency in possession. On average, Van Dijk registers 70.4 passes per 90 minutes, including five long balls, with an overall success rate of 91.6%. Perhaps most interesting, however, is just how many key passes he plays. While an average of 0.5 might sound low, it is more than the aforementioned Saliba, Manchester City's Ruben Dias, and Manchester United's Raphael Varane have managed this term combined. In short, Van Dijk doesn't just use his time on the ball passively, like many other centre-halves.

And all of this adds up to portray a defender who, on the wrong side of 30 and with many critics trailing in his wake, has seemingly recaptured and rekindled some of the magic that made him such an imperious presence for such a long time. At the present moment, he might just be the best in the Premier League once again.