Liverpool’s captain and the current on form defender in the EPL, Champions League, and the FA competitions. Image: Anfield Sector shared via X.
(The Post News)– Arne Slot of Liverpool showered praise on captain Virgil van Dijk on Friday, refusing to back down from the prospect of achieving an unprecedented quadruple in his debut season in English sport. With a 4-1 aggregate victory over Tottenham on Thursday, the Reds easily advanced to the League Cup final.
With one game remaining against their rivals, Liverpool leads the Premier League by six points. They also won the Champions League group stage to go to the round of 16. Slot’s team will next play Championship underdogs Plymouth on Sunday in an attempt to advance to the FA Cup’s fifth round. No English team has ever won the Champions League and all three domestic trophies in the same season.
“I can just tell you that we are in a really good situation right now. The players are healthy and prepared, and I’m not just referring to the outcomes,” Slot stated on Friday. “We are in a terrific position, but we are also aware of how long the season is and how many challenging tasks lie ahead of us. Although I don’t expect us to win every game like we did against Tottenham yesterday (4-0), I also don’t expect them to do so. We simply do our hardest to win every football game.”
Van Dijk completed the score as Liverpool easily overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit by sweeping Spurs aside. Despite continuous rumours about his future, given that Van Dijk’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign, the Dutchman has been imposing ever since his countryman assumed leadership. “Virgil is deserving of all the praise, in my opinion. For many years, he has been exceptional for this club, and ever since I started working here, his performances have also been exceptional for me,” Slot continued. “Virgil has had a successful season, just like many others. However, like everyone else, he wants to make this season fantastic, so we still have a lot of games left to play.”
With five Premier League games in 15 days, starting with Wednesday’s Merseyside derby against Everton, Slot revealed he will rotate his team for the trip to Plymouth. Despite being sidelined by injury once more, Trent Alexander-Arnold might make a comeback in time for Goodison Park’s last league derby.
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