Virgil Van Dijk Says Arsenal Will Be “A Nice Challenge” for Liverpool

Initially of the 2025-26 season, most individuals have been looking forward to an early January mid-week conflict between Liverpool and Arsenal and seeing a possible title decider. Whereas the season since has largely gone as London’s Gunners anticipated and hoped, it hasn’t fairly gone to plan for Liverpool.

Arsenal sit first after 20 matchweeks, a full six factors away from second-place Manchester United. Liverpool, then again, discover themselves in fourth—a full 14 factors again of the leaders. As a substitute of a conflict of favourites, there may be clearly just one heading into Thursday’s match, and that favorite is Arsenal.

“Everyone knows at house they’re unbeaten this season,” Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk mentioned forward of the match. “So it’s a pleasant problem and we must be prepared for a battle. I’m wanting ahead to it and everybody ought to. That’s the solely option to attempt to get a consequence. There is no such thing as a cause to not sit up for it.”

The rationale to not sit up for it maybe could be Liverpool’s relative struggles this season, and that even when the outcomes haven’t been horrible—and the outcomes have in truth been completely respectable over the previous month or so—the precise performances have largely fallen in need of expectations.

Add in a rising harm listing and key absences, and plenty of on the skin will probably be anticipating a cushty Arsenal win on the finish of Thursday’s match. Maybe, although, now freed of the strain that got here of beginning the season title favourites, the problem of Arsenal will probably be what this Liverpool aspect wants.

“Each recreation is troublesome,” Van Dijk added. “We clearly need to see the positives and take that into the subsequent problem. That’s how it’s. We preserve preventing, preserve going, and on to Arsenal.”