Virgil van Dijk has urged the Liverpool squad to “look in the mirror” after their 2-0 loss at Everton, asking his team-mates “did they really give everything?”
There were few, if any, who came away from Goodison Park with any credit; Luis Diaz, who endured a fruitless night on the left wing, was arguably the standout.
Defeat in Jurgen Klopp‘s final Merseyside derby should serve as the death knell for Liverpool’s title hopes – and it should be stressed that top four is not yet guaranteed.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Van Dijk turned the spotlight on the players themselves, urging them to “look in the mirror.”
“Very disappointed, in so many ways,” the captain, who struggled throughout, began.
"We weren't good enough."
A 'very disappointed' Virgil van Dijk reacts to Liverpool's 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park ? pic.twitter.com/g4IcvfJGsY
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 24, 2024
“I think everyone has to look in the mirror, look at their own performance [and ask] did they really give everything? Do they really want to win the league?
“Obviously we’re fighting and we still have games after tonight.
“But if we play like we did overall in the game like today, not winning challenges and giving the ref an opportunity to give a free-kick, like he did many times, then we have no chance to win the title.
“It’s a tough one. Obviously we have to be much better against a side that’s playing against relegation.
“Now it’s time to focus on the 12.30pm kickoff again.”
When it was put to Van Dijk that Liverpool looked like they had simply run out of ideas, the Dutchman seemed to agree.
“You try to force things. I think we gave too many crosses where they could just clear it quite easily,” he replied.
“I still think we had, in the first half, clear-cut chances that we should have scored.
“But eventually, we weren’t good enough. We all have to do much better.
“We can’t let the season go out like tonight – and the first half against Crystal Palace especially, that was also very disappointing.
“We have to do much better, in every sense, it’s a tough one.”
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