LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 16, 2022: Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk applauds the supporters after the FA Cup Semi-Final game between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool won 3-2. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Virgil van Dijk: Chance to complete the Liverpool trophy set

Liverpool are into their first FA Cup final in 10 years, moving another step closer to a potential quadruple.

Victory against either Chelsea or Crystal Palace on May 14 at Wembley would see players like Virgil van Dijk complete their set of trophies at Liverpool, with the FA Cup the only trophy they’re yet to win with the Reds.

“We go to the final now, we haven’t won anything at the moment but it is a big step for us as a group,” Van Dijk told BBC post-match. “It is the only trophy we didn’t win so we will give it a go.”

Liverpool raced into a three-goal lead against Man City in the semi-final on Saturday, but a goal 70 seconds into the second half and another in the final minute of the 90 made it a very nervy stoppage time.

“We made it very difficult for ourselves in the end,” admitted Van Dijk.

“We created a chance to finish the game. When they scored their first goal quite early in the second half it gives them a boost but overall we are happy to go to the final.

“It is about scoring goals and that is what we did in the first half. A perfect first half in that case but we play City, the champions of England at the moment and it is always going to be tough.

“There are moments you will have to suffer. You have to show a lot of strength and togetherness. It was intense like the previous game against each other but we should have killed the game off.”

Saturday was the first of what will now be 11 games in 36 days for the Reds, with a potential Champions League final to come a week after that.

Qualifying for the FA Cup final means the penultimate league game of the season, away to Southampton, will now take place in midweek on May 17 or 18, and means a midweek game every week until the end of the season.

It promises to be some six weeks ahead, starting with the visits of Man United (Tuesday) and Everton (next Sunday) to Anfield.

Victory over Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final would mean Liverpool will participate in every possible fixture this season, which last happened during the treble-cup winning season of 2000/01.