Van Dijk Sounds Alarm: Liverpool Captain Issues Stern Warning Following Shocking Crystal Palace Defeat
Virgil van Dijk maintains there's no reason for alarm within the Liverpool squad following their initial defeat of the 2025–26 season, though he's not dismissing the outcome after a 2–1 loss to Crystal Palace that "originated" from his team's careless play.
Liverpool fell behind to Crystal Palace within the opening 10 minutes when Ismaïla Sarr capitalized on a loose ball inside the penalty area from a corner. Following their pattern throughout most of the season, the Reds managed to claw back into the match late via substitute Federico Chiesa. Just as it appeared Arne Slot might salvage a draw, Eddie Nketiah netted a stunning winner during the seventh minute of added time.
"I'm frustrated with the defeat, particularly how we approached the game. I don't believe there's any reason for concern, but we must improve rapidly. It was the fundamentals that we executed poorly. Hopefully this represents the only occasion this season we perform like that," Van Dijk commented following the Selhurst Park disappointment.
"They're extremely challenging to penetrate. Very organized, they sit deep defensively and they're comfortable with that approach. They possess the ability on the counter-attack to damage you. But it originated with us. We were careless, and we were fortunate to have the world's finest goalkeeper to rescue us," the Liverpool skipper continued.
"If we had secured a draw, it would have been one point more than we deserved."
Liverpool had demonstrated a talent this campaign for discovering late match-winners. In their opening five fixtures of the season, four goals arrived beyond the 90-minute mark as the phrase "Slottage time" started to emerge. This pattern extended into cup matches as well, with Van Dijk himself securing three points late against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League and Hugo Ekitiké grabbing victory in the Carabao Cup.
It's reasonable to suggest Liverpool haven't fully adjusted yet with numerous new acquisitions, but they also encountered a comparable scenario last season while claiming the title. Nottingham Forest surprised Liverpool at Anfield to deliver Slot an early defeat in his newly established reign, yet they would still proceed to capture the league by a 10-point difference. The Dutch tactician is also positioned to become the quickest Liverpool manager to accumulate 100 points.
Liverpool face two more fixtures before the October international pause, visiting Galatasaray in the Champions League and traveling to Stamford Bridge for a clash with Chelsea.