Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk admits that dealing with Erling Haaland is an extremely tough challenge but insists the Reds are ready to take revenge on Manchester City in front of their fans at Anfield.
On 7 February 2026, Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool's captain and defender, acknowledged that marking Erling Haaland, Manchester City's dangerous striker, is one of the toughest tasks in modern football. This statement came ahead of the Premier League match where the Reds will host the Sky Blues at Anfield on Sunday at 23:30 GMT+7.
In the first leg of the season, Manchester City beat Liverpool convincingly 3-0 at home. Van Dijk hopes to use the home game as a key opportunity to exact revenge and reclaim pride in front of the Kop fans.
The Dutch international defender spoke about the Norwegian striker:
“He is an outstanding forward, and I have faced Erling for several years. He is a true modern striker—strong, fast, and a natural goal hunter. It will definitely be a tough game.”
Van Dijk also reflected on the first-leg match at the Etihad Stadium, calling it one of the games where Liverpool had to accept a deserved defeat.
“That game was very difficult, and it might have been different if we were playing at home. But in the second half, we had to admit we deserved to lose.”
However, the Liverpool captain believes Sunday’s match will be a completely different story.
“Sunday is a new opportunity. Matches against Manchester City are never easy. The atmosphere at Anfield is always fantastic, and that’s something we look forward to. I'm excited to be back playing there with everyone again.”
This game is one of the season’s key matches, with Liverpool aiming for a win to maintain their challenge for a top-table spot, while Manchester City hopes to secure three points to continue chasing league leaders Arsenal.