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Virgil van Dijk has urged Liverpool to gear up for the “last push” following dismal Europa League exit as Premier League title race reaches climax.
Liverpool managed a 1-0 victory against Atalanta in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash, but it was too little to overturn the 3-0 deficit from the first leg at Anfield. After the consolation win, Van Dijk has called on his teammates to regroup and focus on the final stretch of the Premier League title race, starting with a match against Fulham on Sunday.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Van Dijk said: “First, credit to Atalanta, the damage was done last week and we were very poor. They had the perfect game and they deserved to go through. We made it far too difficult for ourselves last week.
“Today was a good game, a great fight and we won but it does not feel like it. It’s an improvement but the reality is that we are out and we have to very quickly turn this around and travel to London on Sunday. We all have a responsibility to be ready for it physically and mentally. We are disappointed to be out of the competition as we really wanted to win it.
“We need everyone for the last push and that is the feeling that I am getting now. We tried to [capitalise on the early goal]. We had some opportunities as well. Maybe at times, we wanted to play too quickly and everyone was keen to get the second and eventually then the third. Overall, it was a better game than last week but it wasn’t enough.”
The victory against Atalanta halted Liverpool’s three-game winless streak, which included a draw against Manchester United, a defeat by Atalanta in the first leg of the Europa League tie, and a disappointing loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League. After the shock loss to Palace, Liverpool currently trail leaders Manchester City by two points in the Premier League table, with six games left to play.
Moving ahead from their Europa League disappointment, Liverpool will look to channel their energy and focus into their pursuit of Premier League success, with Van Dijk leading the charge from the backline. Following a trip to Fulham this Sunday, the Reds will be in action at Goodison Park in the Merseyside derby on April 25.
via – goal
