Throughout the past five years, Liverpool has been Manchester City’s most reliable opponent, and their captain is hoping that a revamped team will help them regain that form.
Virgil van Dijk acknowledges that his team will require “a bit of luck” in order for Liverpool to contend as Manchester City’s primary title rivals this season.
Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Brentford at home on Sunday allowed them to pass both Tottenham and Arsenal and move up to second place heading into the November international break. After a summer overhaul, Jurgen Klopp’s team has appeared more like their best self since they missed out on Champions League qualifying the previous year.
Because of their current form, City and Liverpool’s match at the Etihad in less than two weeks will feature a matchup between the top two teams in the league. Over the past five years, Pep Guardiola’s most reliable rivals have been the Merseyside club, and Van Dijk is hopeful his revamped team can do the same.
Van Dijk answered, “I hope so,” when asked if Liverpool was prepared to take on City once more. “On Sunday, when I looked in the dressing room, it seemed like we were the Under-23 team. Nonetheless, we still have the trait that says you are old enough if you are good enough. However, we must observe, have a little bit of good fortune, avoid injuries, and maintain consistency.
“We have been doing well overall this season, but as we all know, the season is not determined in November and there might be a lot of twists and turns. Before the season even begins, you have all these hopes, plans, and objectives, and you want to compete all the way to the finish in every tournament we take part in. At the start of the season, it is undoubtedly the case, and as the season progresses, so does the individual.
“There’s still a lot to be gained. Although everything is going well, we would have been in a downward spiral if we hadn’t defeated Brentford. This is because, naturally, you don’t prepare properly for a game right after the international break. But we felt good when we were done.”
