Virgil van Dijk admits he’s been wrestling with “mixed emotions” during the international break following Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. That reverse meant the Reds have now lost seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
The poor run has caused the defending champions to tumble from the Premier League summit down to eighth place. They’ve also witnessed their Carabao Cup ambitions ended by Crystal Palace and suffered defeat in the Champions League.
That latter loss, 1-0 at Galatasaray, will not prove terminal, but the title holders possess virtually no room for mistakes if they wish to defend their domestic crown, starting with today’s visit of Nottingham Forest to Anfield (3pm kick-off).
But before the afternoon to forget at the Etihad, Liverpool showed their class by beating Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League after producing a much-improved performance to see off Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League. Both opponents were dispatched at Anfield and Van Dijk drew encouragement from certain aspects he witnessed. Nevertheless, the captain recognises that the Reds must delve deep as they confront their present predicament. Writing in his programme notes for the visit of Forest, Van Dijk said (via the Mirror): “We went into the recent international period with mixed emotions, I would say. Disappointment, for sure, at the manner in which we lost at Manchester City, but also encouragement at what came before that, with important, hard-fought and deserved victories over both Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
“We don’t shy away from the truth at this club. We know that there is improvement to be found in our performance levels, and we know that the only way to find that improvement is through hard work and togetherness.
“I have said many times that I believe in the quality and the character of this squad, but we have to show it where it matters, which is out there on the field.
“We know what lies ahead over the next few months, but for now our focus must be on the next game only. We fight for the win, we fight for the three points and we go from there.
