Virgil van Dijk
Image Credits: Liverpool FC
Virgil van Dijk has spoken about Liverpool’s upcoming fixture against Southampton.
High-flying Liverpool will face the lowly Saints at Anfield on Saturday, with the game set for a 3pm GMT kickoff.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool side enter the game with a commanding 13-point lead at the summit, with their title aspirations growing stronger each week.
Meanwhile, Ivan Jurić’s Southampton appears increasingly destined for an immediate return to the Championship after a disastrous campaign that has yielded just nine points from 27 matches.
This weekend’s encounter represents another opportunity for the rampant Reds to further cement their position at the Premier League’s pinnacle. However, they’ll need to regroup quickly after their midweek European exploits.
The Reds struggled to exert themselves against PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday, needing Alisson Becker to be at his best to salvage a win at Parc des Princes.
On paper, Southampton are expected to offer an easier test than PSG. However, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that Liverpool players are not feeling like the game against the Saints will be easy.
In his column in the matchday programme for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Southampton, the captain said: “Make no mistake, [Saturday] is a very important game. I know some people outside of Liverpool will look at the Premier League table and think this could be a straightforward afternoon for us, but I can assure you that none of us players will feel that way.
“There is no such thing as an easy game in the Premier League, and Southampton will get our full respect and attention, just like every team we play against does.
“We have played against them twice already this season, once in the league and once in the Carabao Cup, and both were tough, close games in which we only narrowly secured the victory. We had to dig deep on both occasions, and we are ready for another big fight.
“So we know that we will need to be ready to fight and to run and to play from the very first whistle until the last. We accept the challenge, and hopefully, we can give you lots to shout about at the end of another memorable week.”
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