Virgil van Dijk’s elite mentality was evident in the comments he made after Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Manchester United today.
The Reds turned up at Old Trafford and put on a spectacular performance against the away side the Kopites, sealing a win over their rivals with a magnificent display.
But the perfectionist Dutchman was slightly disappointed after the game that his team’s winning percentage was not greater than how many chances they created this afternoon.
Follow Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) on Instagram here
According to Fabrizio Romano, when a reporter suggested Liverpool ‘could have won 5-0 or 6-0’, Van Dijk responded candidly: “We had to”.
The captain added: “We were dominant and should have scored more goals, but yeah, winning 3-0 is a big improvement (on last season).”
READ MORE: ‘What is he doing?’ – Sky pundit slams Liverpool ace’s ‘ridiculous’ moment at Man Utd
See more: (VIDEO) Liverpool tank wins 7th dual as Old Trafford becomes his playground on Sunday afternoon
The Reds had Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal ruled out for offside right at the start of the game and Dominik Szoboszlai missed a good goalscoring opportunity in the second half, but Liverpool actually exceeded expectations in their xG Goals of the Day (SofaScore) rating of 1.73.
Given our dominance over United, especially after the first half, the much-discussed metric may not have been a good reflection of the way this game was played, as the home team never won against a ruthless away side.
Van Dijk was pleased with the win, but insisted that the final score should have been given much more emphasis, which is a good example of Van Dijk’s mindset.
Even the best teams in the world have room for improvement in football. But Liverpool fans won’t be enjoying the joy of victory tonight after drawing twice in the Premier League last season and then coming away with a crushing win against an opponent who couldn’t stand up to Arne’s slot machine!
Close-up with EOTK John Welsh: ‘Local lad living his dream’ and Slot’s LFC predictions
