The familiar, crushing weight of a stoppage-time sucker punch returned to haunt Anfield on Sunday afternoon. For Virgil van Dijk, the sting felt sharper than usual. As the Dutchman stood in the post-match mixed zone, the frustration was etched across his face not just because of a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City. Instead, it was because of a recurring nightmare that refuses to end for Arne Slot’s side.
Erling Haaland’s 93rd-minute penalty didn’t just hand Pep Guardiola his first victory in front of an Anfield crowd in a decade. Instead, it exposed a brittle underbelly in a Liverpool side that has now conceded six times in added time this season. Even Van Dijk was left reflecting on the defensive lapses.
For a team currently holding the title of reigning champions, the inability to kill games has become a debilitating disease. Van Dijk often reminds his teammates of this fact.
Direct approach backfires
Liverpool spent much of the first half chasing shadows. City’s midfield trio dictated the tempo, leaving the Reds looking uncharacteristically disjointed. Van Dijk admitted that the tactical setup during the opening 45 minutes played directly into the visitors hands.
“First half we tried to be more direct, which causes maybe less control, more chaos,” Van Dijk explained. “We were trying to be more direct, with much more long balls, winning if not the first ball then the second, and go from there. They tried to shut off our left side and Haaland was constantly with me.”
“It’s always difficult to accept a loss, especially at home,” Van Dijk told reporters. “If you really analyse the game as a whole, 95 minutes, City was much better than us in having the ball. They created some opportunities, but not massive.
“Second half, we did much better and created opportunities but the penalty is the deciding factor. At the moment, I’m disappointed that we lost.”
The captain’s assessment hit the nail on the head. By bypassing the midfield, The Reds surrendered the very control they usually leverage to stifle opposition. Consequently, they failed to register a meaningful attempt on goal for the first 25 minutes. This was a fact that Van Dijk lamented post-match.
Meanwhile, Alisson Becker had to remain alert to deny Haaland twice in the early exchanges. City’s front three of Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, and Omar Marmoush asked relentless questions of the backline, which included Van Dijk.
"I expect Haaland there historically to score"
Can Erling Haaland get his first goal from open play in 50 days in the Premier League? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/YDLvpT1qIP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 8, 2026
The mid-game shift and Szoboszlai’s thunderbolt
The narrative shifted dramatically after the interval. Whatever Arne Slot said in the dressing room worked, as Liverpool emerged with a renewed sense of purpose. Hugo Ekitike twice went close to an opener. First, he dragged a shot wide and then he headed a Mohamed Salah cross agonisingly past the post, while Van Dijk led from the back.
Eventually, the pressure told. In the 74th minute, Dominik Szoboszlai unleashed a 30-yard free-kick that left Gianluigi Donnarumma rooted to the spot. It was a goal of pure technical mastery, reminiscent of his strike against Arsenal in August. At that moment, Anfield sensed another famous victory with Van Dijk rallying his side.
“Second half, we turned it around a little bit and got more control,” Van Dijk noted. “We made better decisions and made more challenges. I think if you really analyse the game as a whole, 95 minutes, and especially the first half City was really much better than us… Second half we did much better and created good opportunities.”
A horror show in the final act
However, the lead acted as a catalyst for City rather than a cushion for Liverpool. The hosts retreated, inviting the very pressure they had spent the second half alleviating. Ultimately, this left Van Dijk exposed at the back.
Bernardo Silva poked home an 84th-minute equaliser after Haaland knocked down a Rayan Cherki cross. This set the stage for a chaotic finale which Van Dijk could only watch unfold.
The decisive blow landed when Alisson, so often the saviour, clattered into Matheus Nunes. Haaland stepped up, ignored the deafening whistles of the Anfield road end, and buried his 21st goal of the campaign. Van Dijk stood helplessly.
“I think you can’t compare all of the goals [conceded in stoppage time],” Van Dijk said, attempting to differentiate this loss from previous collapses against Crystal Palace or Bournemouth.
“But the fact is that we conceded that late on and I keep saying it but we have to do better in this. It is easy now to say we maybe dropped off too much and that is why they scored the equaliser.”
The chaos reached a fever pitch in added time. Rayan Cherki thought he had scored a third from inside his own half with Alisson stranded, but VAR intervened. Instead of a goal, Szoboszlai received a red card for a desperate foul on Haaland in the buildup. This left Van Dijk to lead a depleted team.
The cost of game management failures
This defeat leaves Liverpool four points adrift of fifth-placed Chelsea and raises serious questions about their Champions League qualification hopes. For a club that prides itself on “heavy metal football,” the lack of composure in the “dying seconds” is becoming a statistical anomaly. Van Dijk finds this deeply concerning.
Arne Slot side have now conceded four 90th-minute winners this term, joining an unwanted club of Premier League strugglers. This is a fate Van Dijk surely wants to avoid.
“You also have to remember that you’re playing against City, who are obviously very comfortable on the ball,” Van Dijk concluded. “At times, when you don’t win the ball… I think making the right decisions could have been better.”
With Szoboszlai now facing a suspension for Wednesday’s clash against Sunderland and the gap to the top four widening, Slot must find a way to instil the “game management” Van Dijk craves. If they don’t, the reigning champions may find themselves watching the elite European competition from the sofa next season.