After Liverpool’s tight victory over Everton increased their advantage at the top of the league, Virgil van Dijk appears to be on track to become the first Dutch player to ever capture the Premier League trophy as captain. After the game, the Reds’ captain then made fans go crazy with his answer to a question posed by Michael Owen.
During Wednesday night’s contentious Merseyside derby, Arne Slot’s team emerged victorious thanks to a strike from Diogo Jota. Although Luis Diaz appeared to be offside early in the attacking move, defender James Tarkowski managed to avoid a straight red card before the home team’s goal was given.
Notwithstanding all of the game’s occurrences, the city’s red team once again earned the right to boast after defeating Arsenal 1-0 to reclaim their 12-point lead over second-place Arsenal. After the disappointment of losing in the Carabao Cup final and the Champions League, it signalled a return to winning ways.
Van Dijk, Virgil ‘Change the Narrative’ is the goal
Michael Owen’s proposal did not sit well with the captain.
Owen, a contentious character at Anfield, was a member of the panel that questioned Van Dijk following the final whistle while working as a commentator for Premier League productions during the Merseyside derby. According to The Mirror, Owen had previously shared with his former employers how he felt about the previous several games:
“The past several weeks have been somewhat annoying. Liverpool was about to enjoy an incredible season. It will still be amazing if they win the Premier League, but there will be a slight sting because they were creating something unique.”
The former England international continued by asking the central defender if he believed that the possibility of winning the Premier League had been diminished by the team’s prior defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle. “So you’re suggesting the season is not going to be special any more?” was the Reds star’s immediate response.
The players might have had a different idea, according to Owen, who insisted that winning the league again would be an amazing accomplishment: “It will be, absolutely, it will be special, but I thought it could’ve been building into something very special.”
Van Dijk has no intention of downplaying the potential glory that a Premier League victory could bring. The 33-year-old retaliated by saying that the narrative surrounding his team needs to “change”:
“Well, I believe we need to slightly alter that story.
We put forth a lot of effort to earn the top spot in the Premier League, and we are vying for the season’s biggest reward. We have eight games left, we are aware of the stakes, and we must fight, go for it, and enjoy the trip before we can judge. I still think it looks really remarkable, as I mentioned.
“As you stated, I believe that nobody anticipated that we would even attempt to fight on all four fronts at the beginning of the season. The truth is that we are currently at a point where we are still vying for the largest. There is still a chance that this season may be exceptionally memorable.
Liverpool Fans Overjoyed at Van Dijk’s Response
‘Virgil van Dijk casually destroying Michael Owen’
Reds fans praised Van Dijk’s handling of the subject on social media right away. One just uploaded the video and said, “My captain!” as the caption. Before urging the team to negotiate a new deal with the top defence in international football, another person echoed this sentiment: “Get this contract signed, my captain.”
As one fan put it, “Virgil’s response is as cool and sinister as Joe Pesci’s character in Goodfellas asking Ray Liotta’s ‘Do I amuse you?'” Others were amazed by the calmness of the Netherlands international’s response.
It’s unclear if Owen will be given the opportunity to get one back, but one fan began adding up the points between the two: “Excellent. Virg 1-0 Owen,” and another was unable to contain their amusement during the exchange: “I was howling when Van Dijk responded in this way. Owen’s realisation that his query was poorly stated was evident.
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