‘If not for the dumb errors, the scoreline may have changed’: Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk blasts Arsenal fans for celebrating Liverpool’s loss as if they had already won the league trophy
Virgil van Dijk has taken accountability for the sequence of errors that led to Arsenal’s second goal in their 3-1 victory over Liverpool. Despite a challenging first half, Liverpool began to regain momentum in the early stages of the second half. However, a pivotal moment occurred when a long ball was played to Gabriel Martinelli with 25 minutes remaining.
Both Van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson were caught off guard by the unexpected bounce of the ball. Their failure to clear the ball allowed Martinelli to capitalize and score into an unguarded net. Van Dijk acknowledged his responsibility for the mistake, stating that it was a crucial moment in the game.
He admitted that despite Liverpool’s strong performance after the break, the atmosphere became tense due to the error. Van Dijk emphasized that such mistakes are rare in his career but pledged to learn from it and improve.
Acknowledging the physical nature of the game, Van Dijk refused to make excuses and fully accepted the blame. He acknowledged that Alisson’s brief touch may have contributed to the error but emphasized his personal responsibility.
Van Dijk also recognized the challenge of playing at the Emirates Stadium, acknowledging the pressure Liverpool faced, especially considering their recent FA Cup encounter. Overall, he took full ownership of the mistake and vowed to work on preventing similar occurrences in the future.
