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.
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’
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:
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.”
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.”
