Virgil van Dijk
Image Credits: Instagram/virgilvandijk
Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk endured a devastating week as their hopes of silverware on two fronts were extinguished in the space of five days.
After crashing out of the Champions League on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, Arne Slot’s side then surrendered their Carabao Cup crown with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday.
The Magpies ended their 70-year wait for domestic silverware with a thoroughly deserved victory that exposed Liverpool’s frailties on the biggest stage.
Dan Burn gave Newcastle a lead just before half-time, powering home a header from Kieran Trippier’s corner in the 45th minute with Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher slow to react.
Seven minutes after the break, Alexander Isak doubled Newcastle’s advantage when he clinically finished after Jacob Murphy headed down Tino Livramento’s cross.
The two-goal cushion was a fair reflection of Newcastle’s dominance in the tie.
Liverpool offered little resistance until deep into stoppage time when Federico Chiesa halved the deficit, slotting home after Harvey Elliott’s clever pass24. Initially flagged offside, VAR confirmed the goal stood, but it proved mere consolation as Newcastle secured their first major trophy since 1955.
Arne Slot highlighted the physical battle as a key factor in the defeat:
“This game had nothing to do with running. This game had only to do with playing duels and there was no intensity in terms of running in this game at all, so you cannot even judge if we were tired physically, because we could not press them.”
With two trophies now beyond their reach in the space of five days, Liverpool must quickly regroup as they focus exclusively on the Premier League title race. The Reds don’t play again until April 2, when they face local rivals Everton.
And ahead of that clash, Virgil van Dijk has revealed that it has been very word to put the last week into words:
“First of all congratulations to everyone at Newcastle United,” he wrote on Instagram.
“It’s been a difficult and disappointing week for us, and it’s very hard for me to put it in to words right now.”
“Only thing I can say is that we want to bounce back, and we will! See you after the international break.”
Having lost the 2023 Carabao Cup final to Manchester United, Eddie Howe’s team finally delivered a trophy that their passionate supporters have craved for seven decades.
As the first English manager to win a major trophy since Harry Redknapp in 2008, Howe’s achievement adds another layer of significance to Newcastle’s triumph.
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