Frustrated Van Dijk vents about 3 reasons Liverpool remain bottom after defeat to Wolves, impacting their UEFA Champions League qualification hopes.
On 4 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool's captain and defender, spoke after the 29th match of the 2025-26 English Premier League season, following a shocking 1-2 away loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, who sit last in the standings.
Liverpool fell behind 0-1 from Rodrigo Gomes in the 78th minute, then equalized 1-1 through Mohamed Salah in the 83rd minute, but ultimately conceded a stoppage-time goal at 90+4 minutes to Wolverhampton’s Andre.
After this match, Liverpool remains with 48 points in 5th place but risks being overtaken by 3rd place Manchester United and 4th place Aston Villa, who both have 51 points, as well as 6th place Chelsea with 45 points who have closed the gap, in the battle for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Virgil van Dijk identified three reasons for Liverpool's loss to Wolverhampton: "I think it was our own fault. We played too slowly, were too predictable, lost rhythm in possession, and made poor decisions."
"Of course, we missed chances, but if you play like that, this kind of result can happen. That’s the reality, and it’s disappointing tonight."
"(Regarding missed early chances to take the lead) That’s not the only reason. Certainly, modern games are analyzed in detail to understand why things happen on the pitch. As a team, we want to start the game as well as possible."
"In the last match (against West Ham United), we did well. Today, we had more possession, but I think we still made bad decisions and couldn’t score. Ultimately, we are disappointed to lose today."
"Conceding goals is always frustrating. We had just kept two clean sheets in a row (before the West Ham game). I think our defense is strong, but as you saw, we have to move on quickly because we return here in a few days and want to perform well in the FA Cup. We need to show a strong response."
"(On the defeat making a top 5 finish harder) This season hasn’t been easy. It’s had ups and downs for many reasons. The league is strong and competitive every 3-4 days. It’s a big fight."
"We need everyone at their best and a big squad in that sense. We want results, and in the past two weeks, we got good results, but not today. It shows we still have work to do, which is very clear, and that’s what we must focus on."