Virgil van Dijk admitted that Liverpool were “very sloppy” in defence for Man Utd’s winner as they fell to a fourth consecutive defeat on Sunday evening. Â
Harry Maguire headed in the decisive goal late on after Cody Gakpo had cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener at Anfield.
It’s the first time since 2016 that United have won at the ground, while it’s also the first time they have managed successive wins in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim.
Van Dijk makes ‘very sloppy’ Liverpool admission following Man Utd defeat
“I think we conceded a very sloppy second goal,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports. “We worked so hard to get back into the game and we created great opportunities to score the winner but if you concede a second goal like that, that is the disappointing part.
“If you look at the game as a whole, we were far too rushed. I think they were very patient they didn’t press us high but they didn’t let us on the ball. We still created many opportunities to score but the reality is that we lost.”
Mbeumo’s 2nd-minute goal came immediately after Van Dijk knocked teammate Alexis Mac Allister over. The Argentine went down with an apparent head injury, but referee Michael Oliver did not stop play.
“I think the ball went long, first header was a United player, second by me,” Van Dijk said of the incident. “My elbow hit the player and he goes down and I went down. That angle it was difficult to score and he did. There was plenty of football left to be played and we didn’t [score].
“We need to stay humble and stay working and keep our confidence as high as possible. When things get tough, it is important we keep the mentality of being there for each other. It is a long season.”
On what is next for Liverpool, he added:Â “It is an interesting time because we have to stick together, not just us as players but as a club and the fans who want us to win.”
Read –Â Six unforgettable games between Liverpool and Man Utd
See Also –Â Five of the best Liverpool vs Manchester United goals
