Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has discussed a "difficult and disappointing week" after their Carabao Cup defeat.
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Virgil van Dijk has spoken out after Liverpool's Carabao Cup final defeat.
Virgil van Dijk has spoken out after Liverpool's Carabao Cup final defeat.
(Image: Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted their dismal Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United is 'very hard' to put into words. The Reds failed to defend their League Cup crown after they struggled to overcome the Magpies in a 2-1 reverse at Wembley Stadium.
Federico Chiesa's late goal proved to be a consolation. That after Newcastle took a deserved two-goal lead with Dan Burn and Alexander Isak on target.
The weekend disappointment beneath the famous arch has forced head coach Arne Slot to wait for his first piece of silverware since succeeding Jurgen Klopp as he will be forced to mull over a turgid display during the two-week international break. But there are bigger prizes potentially on the horizon.
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As the game ticked on and the Reds chased an equaliser, Van Dijk was even deployed as a striker after their head coach tactician made a series of attacking changes. One of them was Chiesa, who finished well to reduce the arrears, but his effort came too little, too late in their League Cup defence. The Liverpool captain was gracious in defeat, but admitted that the disappointment is a tough one to swallow.
"First of all congratulations to everyone at Newcastle United," he said. "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."
Sunday afternoon's final reverse capped a difficult week at Anfield and those associated with the club after their midweek Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 leaders overcame a first-leg deficit to dump out the Reds on penalties, after Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.