Virgil van Dijk refused to be drawn into premature talks about a possible 'quadruple' – unlike Liverpool colleague Trent Alexander-Arnold last season.
Van Dijk, 33, was asked if he thought Arne Slot's side could win all four major trophies after the Merseysiders beat Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 to guarantee top spot at Christmas. And it's not the first time Liverpool have been tipped to make history in recent years, as they were touted to win all four trophies in the 2019/20 and 2021/22 seasons, as well as last season.
Under the leadership of Jurgen Klopp, the Reds won the Premier League, the FA Cup and two League Cups during those seasons. But some fans were left a little disappointed by the constant four-way talk.
Last year, as the Reds performed brilliantly in all domestic competitions and the Europa League, Alexander-Arnold tied his colors to the mast and said he is personally aiming to win all four trophies in Klopp's final season in charge . As admirable as his ambition was, his comments came back to haunt him: they won the League Cup by beating Chelsea in the final, but their title challenge faltered in the final quarter.
Matters got worse when Manchester United and Atalanta knocked them out of the FA Cup and Europa League respectively. And despite Liverpool currently sitting at the top of the Premier League and Champions League, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup in Slot's impressive first season to date, experienced centre-back and captain Van Dijk was not considered for proposals for a quadruple team. Alexander-Arnold does.
When asked about a possible quadruple, Van Dijk responded to Sky Sports with an 18-word statement: “I will not get drawn into a conversation about possibly winning a trophy, or two, or three or four.”
He also said: “I think I've answered many times that we don't think about what happens in May. We want to be there in May, but we've seen how difficult it is. Other teams can do it, apart from obviously City .But we are focusing on what lies ahead.”
The Dutchman added: “It's about being present in every match ahead of us. At the moment there was Spurs today, a difficult one, but it was a very good match. Next up is Leicester and that's the only game that we also have influence on.”
It was certainly a different tone from 26-year-old Alexander-Arnold, who told CNN in February: “I am completely focused on winning every possible trophy. My goal is to win the quadruple. weeks before we want to get our hands on our first silverware.
“Every match is almost like a final now because there is a certain different team [Manchester City] it looks like they click into gear, which means it goes to the wire as usual. It means that every game is a must-win, it's that simple.
“That's how you want it. You want to be pushed, you want to push yourself as far and as hard as you can. Even a draw feels like a loss, regardless of the context.”
Liverpool's first chance at success this season comes in the form of the Carabao Cup, with holders drawing Spurs in the semi-final, while Arsenal take on Newcastle. In the third round of the FA Cup, the Reds welcome Accrington Stanley to Anfield on January 11.
But while everything is going well for the Reds on the pitch, fans are concerned about the futures of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah. All three's contracts expire in the summer and the trio will be free to negotiate pre-contract deals with foreign clubs when the January transfer window opens.
Alexander-Arnold in particular has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid. Despite the uncertainty, the performances of all three have been impressive.
Van Dijk was imperious in the Reds' backline, Alexander-Arnold was creative and defensively strong and Salah tops the goalscoring charts with 18 goals and 15 assists in 24 games in all competitions for the Merseysiders.
After Sunday's 6-3 win, Van Dijk gave an update on his situation, revealing: “There is no deadline at all. We'll see what the future brings. Is there an update? No.”
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