Van Dijk after STOPPING Haaland: "We showed we wanted it more"
The Dutch defender was poised to have a big performance against the Norwegian striker and he did it
Virgil van Dijk left Anfield with Erling Haaland in his pockets, some have claimed, but the Dutch defender says it was all part of a team effort. The Liverpool defensive stalwart praised his team's defensive efforts in their 1-0 victory over Manchester City and said that "running, communication, and wanting it more" were crucial to denying the Norwegian.
Virgil van Dijk battled Erling Haaland and denied him
With Liverpool's defence looking as weak as it has done since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp, many feared that Erling Haaland would carry on his record-setting scoring against the Reds, but Virgil van Dijk was predicted by former England centreback Rio Ferdinand to produce a big performance and he did, giving Haaland his second game without scoring in the English top flight.
However, according to Van Dijk it was all a team effort: "That's what defenders have to do [defend for your lives]", the Dutchman told UK TV network Sky Sports, "That's what you have to do in every game, you drop off a slight percentage, they will punish you".
"It's a lot of running, communication. Who wants it more. Today we showed it", added Van Dijk, whose performance was even more vital due the injury to Ibrahim Konate and Joel Matip. "It takes a lot to get three points. I think it was always going to be very intense, that's what's been happening over the last years".
Van Dijk was also thankful to the Liverpool supporters who pushed the team forwards: "It started with the hard work we put on the pitch, that's the minimum for this beautiful club. We showed that. We won, that's the most important thing. When certain moments happen in the game it [the atmosphere] puts fuel in the fire for us. The energy we had back was definitely needed to push us forward and keep the big advantage. [The fans] played a big part in this and that's what we need for the rest of the season, especially after our difficult start".
Mohamed Salah celebrated his goal in front of the Kop and many credited the fans with helping Liverpool to the win
Someone else who agreed with Virgil van Dijk in regards to the fans' influence was former Liverpool captain and current pundit Grahame Souness, who commented: "People will say it's a great atmosphere in the stadium. The Liverpool supporters were fantastic. It's not because of the songs they were singing, they were challenging every challenge the players made. They were challenging everything. They made it very difficult for City".
Continue reading: Guardiola SNUBS Arsenal: "Liverpool will always be our biggest rivals"
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