Liverpool center back Virgil van Dijk has admitted that the memory of losing the Premier League title race against Manchester City in the 2018-19 campaign is keeping Jurgen Klopp’s team grounded following the 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
The Dutch defender scored the opening goal after 14 minutes of a game that threatened to slip through their fingers when the visitors finished strongly, but Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah doubled Liverpool’s lead in last minute of stoppage time in the second half to put the Merseyside outfit 16 points clear at the summit of the English Premier League table.
There were chants of “we’re going to win the league” which rang out around Anfield at the final whistle but Van Dijk has insisted that the team’s focus would immediately be on a difficult trip to the Molineaux Stadium on Thursday to maintain their impeccable run in England’s top flight.
Liverpool is yet to lose a game in the Premier League this campaign and they are strolling towards their first title in 30 years but the 28-year-old Van Dijk has explained the mentality at the club, “Everyone wants us to say something about it but we won’t get carried away. We in the squad cannot and we won’t. I think what we experienced last year is something that made our mentality like this. We just want to go one game at a time, trying to stay fit and improve. Even after today, which was a well-deserved, fantastic win.
Van Dijk has been imperious for Liverpool since arriving at the club and it’s amazing to see how down to earth he is despite being such a massive character.
