Virgil van Dijk has warned his rivals Liverpool will ‘go to war’ for each other and boss Arne Slot, in a bid to become the kings of English football again.
Liverpool put down a serious marker at Anfield on Sunday with a schooling of reigning champions Manchester City. The 2-0 scoreline flattered Pep Guardiola‘s men, who were sent packing from Merseyside looking humbled and humiliated.
The performance strengthened Liverpool’s grip on the title race, and highlighted just how seamless Slot’s bid to replace Jurgen Klopp has been. Liverpool have won 18 of 20 games in all competitions this season.
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Slot’s men find themselves nine points clear at the top of the table, and 11 ahead of City. Van Dijk insists the hard work has only just begun, but admits his players will do whatever it takes in the heat of battle to emerge victorious.
The Dutch defender said: “At the end of the day it is about how much we want it as players. What do you want to achieve as a group? We want to be successful and in order to be successful it is about all the hard work you put in on a daily basis to win games.
“You will have times in games when you will struggle. You don’t want to be frustrated, but every time this season we have found an answer to difficult moments, and that’s the key to success. So hopefully we can keep that going.
“He [Slot] has come in and done very well so far and he has, in my opinion, inherited a very good squad. Not only as football players but as human beings – guys who will go to war for each other – and I think he has been so far so good.”
While Liverpool are now red-hot favourites to go on and become champions again, Van Dijk doesn’t want to hear any title talk within the group. And he reckons Slot’s approach means there is no chance of Liverpool resting on their laurels.
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool travel to Newcastle on Wednesday night and he added: “The thing is we are on matchday 13. We want to be consistent, we want to keep winning games and we don’t want to have injuries.
“We need everyone to focus on what’s ahead of us, but not what’s ahead of us in the next month, now Newcastle is the full focus. It feels that we are making good steps. But I want to be there at the end of the season, that’s the aim.
“And in order to be there at the end of the season, we have to focus on what’s ahead of us, instead of thinking about what’s there in January or February.
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“I think it was always going to be difficult to replace Jurgen after everything he did for us, as players and for the club. But Arne has come in, done it his own way together with the staff, started working and making sure we have the quality to improve and win games.
“But he makes sure we keep working, are not satisfied and focus on what is ahead of us next and keep improving. The club appointed him, so I think they decided this could be the perfect match for the group here.
“The group has been very tight, and over the years we have worked together and been through so much together that they thought this could be a good match on and off the pitch.”