Virgil van Dijk addresses Liverpool 'worry' and 'biggest challenge' they now face
- mrwedwards
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Virgil van Dijk is adamant there is no reason for Liverpool to worry despite the 100% start to their Premier League title defence being destroyed by a miserable performance at Crystal Palace.
The Reds slumped to a deserved 2-1 loss at the unbeaten Londoners on Saturday afternoon after posting an alarmingly below-par display, particularly during a one-sided first half in which Palace merited more than Ismaila Sarr's early opener.
Substitute Federico Chiesa had appeared to earn Arne Slot's side an unlikely point with an 87th-minute equaliser before Palace sub Eddie Nketiah struck the winner deep into additional time.
Liverpool have yet to consistently hit the heights this season as a raft of summer signings continue to adjust in a new-look team that has been reliant on several late goals to earn points.
And after only a fifth Premier League defeat in 44 games under Slot, Reds skipper Van Dijk has warned against overreacting as a testing week on the road continues with a Champions League clash at Galatasaray on Tuesday evening.
Van Dijk
"The biggest challenge now is to stay calm,"
"I have mentioned it many times: never get too high or too low. Just work and don't listen to the outside world too much.
“You know when you can do better and everyone knew that.
"We are disappointed in our performance. Disappointed in the loss, but especially the way we went about it. I think if we got a draw, then we took already one point too many.
"I don't think there is any reason to worry, but we have to improve pretty quickly because obviously we play in Turkey on Tuesday. We have a very difficult game there as well, so we have to be ready."
Sarr's goal was the first time Liverpool had been behind this season and set the tone for a poor defensive display in which the visitors were indebted to a string of fine saves from goalkeeper Alisson Becker to keep them in the game before half-time.
Van Dijk explained: "It was the basics that we didn't do well. Sometimes you can have these days. Hopefully this is the only day this season that we do that.
"There is a reason Palace were 17, now 18, games unbeaten. They are very difficult to break down, very disciplined, they defend deep and they don't mind that, and they have the quality on the break to hurt you.
"But it started all with ourselves. We were sloppy in possession, didn't win our second ball fight, and we created momentum for them. They could have been three or four up by half-time.
"We are lucky that we have, in my opinion, the best goalkeeper in the world to save us."
Van Dijk added: "The issue is our performance. Especially first half, it was far below par. That is something we have to improve.
"It doesn't really matter if we score late because sometimes teams are difficult to break down and you have to find a way to win games.
"Towards the end, teams are getting tired and the spaces will get bigger.
“So that's not the issue. It is more looking at our performance, it was definitely not good. Not good at all. Palace deserved the win they eventually got as well."
Slot dropped a surprise by starting with £116million summer signing Florian Wirtz in a free role before returning the Germany international to a more accustomed number 10 role after the interval.
And when asked if Liverpool's issues were more individual than tactical at Selhurst Park,
Van Dijk responded: "100%. If you look at the first half, everybody has to improve. Obviously Ali saved us, so I don't think he could have done more.
"But second half we went back to what we are used to doing throughout the season. First half, Flo had a bit of a free role and we tried to make it difficult for their defenders to push up and find space in behind.
"But they didn't mind sitting deep and using their strength and that is obviously the counter-attack and the set-pieces because they scored two set-pieces as well."
Liverpool FC Stadium Tour & Museum Entry for Two Adults - https://amzn.to/4nLKC8O
Comments