Virgil van Dijk looks set to become the first Dutch player to ever lift the Premier League trophy as a captain after Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the table with a narrow win against Everton. The Reds' skipper then sent fans wild with his response to Michael Owen's question after the game.
Diogo Jota slotted home the only goal of the game as Arne Slot's men came out on top in a controversy-filled Merseyside derby on Wednesday night. Defender James Tarkowski avoided being shown a straight red card before the home side's goal was awarded despite Luis Diaz appearing to be in an offside position earlier in the attacking move.
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Despite all the incidents in the match, the red side of the city once again gained bragging rights with a 1-0 victory to regain the 12-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal. It marked a return to winning ways after the disappointment of Champions League failure and the Carabao Cup final loss.
Virgil van Dijk Wants to 'Change the Narrative'
The captain wasn't happy with Michael Owen's suggestion
Owen, who is a divisive figure at Anfield, was working as a pundit for Premier League productions during the Merseyside derby and was part of the panel who interviewed Van Dijk after the full-time whistle. Per The Mirror, Owen had already noted his perception of the last few games for his ex-employers, saying:
"It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks. Liverpool were poised to have a phenomenal season. If they win the Premier League, it’ll still be fantastic but with a little bit of a bitter taste because it was building into something special."
The former England international then went on to ask the central defender if he thought the previous losses against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle had taken the shine off the potential of winning the Premier League. To which, the Reds' star instantly hit back: "So you’re suggesting the season is not going to be special any more?"
While Owen maintained that it would be an incredible achievement to reclaim the league title, he felt the players may have thought differently: "It will be, absolutely, it will be special, but I thought it could’ve been building into something very special."
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Van Dijk wasn't in the mood to play down the potential glory that comes with a Premier League trophy. The 33-year-old stated the narrative around his team needs to 'change' as he hit back:
"Well, I think we have to change that narrative a little bit.
"We’re fighting for the biggest prize of the season, we worked so hard for it, 20 teams are working so hard to be on top of the Premier League. We have eight games to go, we know what’s at stake, we have to go for it, we have to fight, we have to enjoy the whole ride and then let’s see. Like I said, it’s still looking very special in my eyes.
"I think what you said, at the start of the season, I think no one expected us to even try to fight on all four fronts. Obviously, we’re at the stage now where we’re still fighting for the biggest, and that’s the reality. It’s still a possibility that this season will be very, very special."
Liverpool Fans Overjoyed at Van Dijk's Response
'Virgil van Dijk casually destroying Michael Owen'
Anfield
Reds supporters were quick to take to social media to praise the way Van Dijk handled the question. One simply posted the video along with the caption: "My captain!" Another added to this sentiment, before pleading with the club to arrange a new contract with the best defender in world football: "Get this contract signed, my captain."
Others were in awe at the composed nature of the Netherlands international's response, with one fan comparing him to a famous character: "Virgil’s response is as cool and sinister as Joe Pesci’s character in Goodfellas asking Ray Liotta’s 'Do I amuse you?'"
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The Uruguayan international found himself in the thick of the action just moments after coming off the bench.
Whether Owen will be given the chance to get one back is yet to be seen, but one fan started to tally up the score between the pair: "Brilliant. Virg 1-0 Owen," and another couldn't control their entertainment at the interaction: "I was howling when Van Dijk gave this reply. You could see that Owen realised he had phrased his question wrongly."