Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of his team’s ongoing crisis, insisting every player must “look in the mirror” after a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest left the defending champions in 11th place.

The Reds have now lost six of their last seven Premier League matches, their worst top-flight run since 2015-16.

Speaking to Premier League Productions, Van Dijk said:
“We concede too many easy goals. They scored from a set piece again. We were not good in terms of battles, challenges, the fight, too rushed. It’s a very difficult situation at the moment. There was nervousness after we conceded, but not before.”

He continued:
“We don’t get out of it by just speaking about it. It will take a lot of hard work. Everyone in the team has to take responsibility as well. Football is a team and everyone has to take responsibility. We have to digest this and take it on the chin. We need to work harder. We all have to look in the mirror.”

The defeat capped a miserable Saturday for the top sides, with Manchester City also falling 2-1 at Newcastle United courtesy of a Harvey Barnes brace. That result hands Arsenal the chance to open a seven-point gap at the top if they beat Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s North London Derby.

Liverpool, meanwhile, face a critical week with a Champions League trip to Real Sociedad followed by three Premier League games in quick succession. The pressure is mounting fast.