Michael Owen’s “strange” question to Virgil van Dijk after Liverpool’s victory in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday night has been retaliated against by Arne Slot. Diogo Jota scored the game’s lone goal as the Reds defeated their fierce rivals 1-0 at Anfield.
After Liverpool’s victory, Owen, who was commentating on the match for Premier League Productions, chatted with Van Dijk. “I’m just thinking in terms of the season so far, if you’d have said at the start of the season you were going to win the Premier League I’m sure people would have been over the moon,” Owen asked Van Dijk in the interview.
“However, it was developing into something truly unique. How difficult was it to focus on the Premier League and finish the season strong following a few significant cup competition losses?”
In response to Owen’s query, Van Dijk expressed disapproval, stating that the season is “still looking very special in my eyes” and that “the narrative needs to change.” Now that Arne Slot has responded to Owen’s remarks, he shares Van Dijk’s disapproval.
Michael Owen’s Remarks Following the Merseyside Derby Are Addressed by Arne Slot
He referred to his inquiry as “strange.”
During his press conference prior to Liverpool’s Sunday afternoon match against Fulham, Slot was questioned over Owen’s remarks. “Let me understand it right, Virgil was a bit frustrated because it came across as it’s not enough to only win the Premier League?” he responded, according to the Daily Mail.
“Didn’t Michael perform for us? So he knows that we have only won the league once in 35 years? That’s your response. Nothing else matters, in my opinion, if you can win the league with this team.
“I can see why people might say, ‘Oh, but you only win the Premier League,’ if you do it ten times in a row. “It’s not a good season for City,” is something I could understand if [Manchester] City had simply won the Premier League. However, I think it’s a weird question to ask if you can fight for it, let alone win it, at this club. I concur with Virgil if he shares this viewpoint.
“I believe the league is better than it has ever been, and the strength is improving overall,” he continued. As long as he is alive, I believe Pep Guardiola himself stated that no club will ever score more than 100 points and win the league four times in a row.
“There are so many more talented players on so many more teams. Every club, including those battling relegation, has players who can play for sides like City, Arsenal, us, Chelsea, and others.
“The league has gotten stronger, which is why teams you may think should have more points don’t. That’s probably why having those points right now is such a complement to us.”
With 73 points from 30 games, Liverpool is easily winning the Premier League. On Sunday afternoon, they will go to west London to play Fulham in an attempt to increase their current record by three points.
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