NewsVirgil van Dijk: It's a big opportunity - we have to be ready to finish the job
Virgil van Dijk has described his emotions and focus ahead of a week that could see Liverpool confirmed as Premier League champions.
Sunday’s dramatic 1-0 win at Leicester City – secured courtesy of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s second-half strike – was another big step towards the title for the Reds.
They maintain a 13-point gap to second-placed Arsenal with five matches remaining, meaning just three more points are required to mathematically ensure the club’s 20th league success.
That would occur if the Gunners lose at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, otherwise Van Dijk and his teammates can make it happen themselves when Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield on Sunday.
“It’s a great feeling to be in this position, something we don’t take for granted,” the captain said after the victory at King Power Stadium.
“It’s been, in my opinion, an outstanding season. A lot of good moments. A lot of good moments actually, a lot of wins and good performances.
“Now we have the chance to finish it off on the weekend against a very good Tottenham Hotspur, in my opinion. We played three times already against them this season and every game was very intense.
“We’ve got a week to prepare. If anything happens on Wednesday then happy days, if not then we have to finish it off and we have to be at our best to do that. That’ll be our main focus.
“To be in this position now, it’s a good position but we’re not there yet. We all have to realise that and we will. We’ll make sure of that. It’s a good week of preparation and then we have to be ready.”
In the event Arne Slot’s team are confirmed as Premier League winners, it would be Van Dijk who has the honour of collecting the trophy in front of supporters at Anfield next month.
The Dutchman is in line to become the 11th league-winning skipper in Liverpool’s history.
“Of course, I can’t deny it, I would lie to you if [I said] it didn’t cross my mind,” he said. “But we are at the stage now – I’m at the stage now with the team as well – there’s no point at this stage to think about it too much.
“We still have a big game at the weekend and I encourage everyone, Liverpool fans of course, to be there, support us. It will all be worth it towards the end.
“We have worked so hard to be in this position throughout the whole season, we have been so consistent, in the league especially with the results and the wins. Now we have a big opportunity – because it’s an opportunity, nothing else – to finish it off.
“I’m really looking forward to it, let’s keep it that way. But we’ve still got a big job on our hands.”
The Reds were made to work for their three points against the Foxes last weekend, with a number of scoring chances coming and going before Alexander-Arnold’s intervention off the bench.
But that memorable moment translated the visitors’ 28 shots, 10 on target and almost 60 per cent of possession into what Van Dijk considered a merited result.
“I think it was expected,” the No.4 said of the nature of the match. “The main thing obviously for them was to try to stay in the Premier League, it was for them the big task so they had to work for it, they had to fight for it and that’s something that we expected.
“Obviously we as well have quite a lot at stake. I think we did overall quite well; created a lot of chances, in my opinion and the feeling I’ve got right now standing here straight after the game.
“Could have made it maybe a little bit easier but other than that, obviously it was always going to be a fight and in certain moments we had to be ready to fight and I think we did. We kept a clean sheet and scored a very good goal.”