Virgil van Dijk has backed his Liverpool teammates to face up to the stress that comes with setting the tempo in a Premier League title race.
The Reds presently boast a seven-point benefit over second-placed Arsenal with 13 video games to go – a lead they secured after holding on to a nervy 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on the weekend.
Whereas Van Dijk accepted the rising anxiousness, in direction of which the last-minute equaliser in opposition to Everton will certainly have contributed, is a pure consequence to being out in entrance, he assured followers the squad is robust sufficient to get the job carried out.
“We’re all human beings and I completely perceive anxiousness or nervousness can kick in,” he mirrored. “I mentioned it weeks in the past, we simply should buckle up, benefit from the trip. There might be lots of twists and turns.
“For those who’re not prepared for it, it is going to be a troublesome couple of months for you however I really feel like we as a crew are prepared for it. We are going to give it every little thing we have and we are going to see in 13 video games if that’s sufficient.”
Van Dijk was a part of the facet which got here out on prime within the 2019/20 title race, however that got here 12 months after Liverpool gave up a big lead for Manchester Metropolis to safe the trophy.
With extra expertise of those conditions than most within the squad, Van Dijk supplied some phrases of knowledge to his teammates.
“I do not know the way others would suppose, I can solely say what I believe and what I inform the boys to do as a result of I have been by this complete scenario and are available up brief as nicely twice,” he mentioned. “We have now to place all our vitality in solely ourselves and that’s laborious sufficient already – you noticed how Wolves made it troublesome for us and on Wednesday it is going to be very troublesome once more.
“For those who concentrate on different issues or take a look at others it’s only going to backfire so we hold going. Sure gamers in our crew may watch different groups however it isn’t going that will help you. I believe that was additionally the mentality the season we received it: we saved going, saved going and we discovered a method.”
