Virgil van Dijk Criticises Liverpool Teammates Following Surprise Defeat to Nottingham Forest
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk appeared to criticise his teammates after their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Murillo, Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White all scored as Forest claimed a second straight victory at Anfield, handing Liverpool their sixth defeat in seven matches.
Even with Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and the returning Alisson in the starting XI, Arne Slot’s team failed to turn their possession into goals against Sean Dyche’s organised side.
The defeat drops Liverpool to 11th in the table, with six wins and six losses so far, while Forest rise to 16th after earning their third league win of the season. It also marks the first time since 1965 that Liverpool have suffered consecutive league defeats by three goals or more.
Slot’s men have now conceded 20 goals in 12 league fixtures — their worst defensive start since 1992 — and this result matches their joint-heaviest Premier League home defeat.
After the poor display, Van Dijk told Premier League Productions that Liverpool fell short in “battles, challenges and the fight” and described their overall play as “rushed”.
He admitted the team must “work harder” and called their current form a serious “problem”.
“Everyone has to take responsibility,” Van Dijk said. “We have to accept this, take it on the chin and improve. Everyone is rightly disappointed — losing at home to Nottingham Forest is, for me, very bad. The goals we conceded were far too soft, and we all need to look in the mirror. I’ve been here a long time and we’ve faced difficult moments before. We’ll bounce back, but it won’t be instant. I’m not a quitter — we’ll keep pushing.”
He also commented on some supporters leaving early after Forest’s third goal: “I can’t control what fans decide to do. They’ve stuck with us through everything. They’ll stay with us as we come through this — because we will come through it.”
Liverpool now prepare for a Champions League clash with PSV at Anfield on November 26, followed by a trip to West Ham on November 30.
