Virgil van Dijk hits back at ‘bitter’ Michael Owen over Liverpool claim

Virgil van Dijk has rejected suggestions this season will leave a “bitter taste” at Liverpool after hopes of a treble were dashed within a week recently. The Reds top the Premier League and were in the hunt to add two more trophies up until last month.

PSG beat them at Anfield to end their hopes of winning the Champions League and then shortly afterwards, despite being favourites at Wembley, Newcastle beat them in the Carabao Cup final to leave Slot only eyeing the league, which they are expected to win sooner rather than later.

Despite the quality and consistency produced on the red half of Merseyside, Slot will ultimately deliver just one trophy in the league, barring a huge capitulation, and Owen has suggested that the recent setbacks will change the perception of the campaign.

Owen told Premier League Productions: “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.”

Owen then asked Van Dijk if the defeats in the two cup competitions has taken the shine slightly off their campaign, which the Dutchman took major issue with and immediately hit back at the former Red.

He replied: “So you’re suggesting the season is not going to be special any more?” Owen then said: “It will be, absolutely, it will be special, but I thought it could’ve been building into something very special.”

Van Dijk then underlined how he and the team would look to change that perception, insisting that no one expected them to be title challengers, let alone winners, before the campaign got underway. “Well, I think we have to change that narrative a little bit,” he said.

“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.”