Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool captain slams ‘ridiculous’ criticism after victory over Aston Villa ends Premier League losing streak

Liverpool’s players and manager Arne Slott have come under fire after last season’s impressive title win, but Van Dijk told TNT Sport after the match that he felt some of the comments had gone too far and had tried to focus on the task at hand.

He said: “Even when we’re doing well, we have to keep our foot on the gas and keep going. What we’ve realized in the last few weeks is that there’s a lot of noise that you can’t control and we have to deal with it as a team.”

“There are some stupid opinions, but we will deal with them. Sometimes external noise gets to certain players, but we are united. We are not going on the pitch to lose a game or let the fans down. We want to do everything we can to win the game. But that is not a guarantee. The Premier League is the highest level.”

“Now is the time to get to work. Never get too high or too low. We live in a world where everyone can have their opinion on so many platforms and they know better. We have to step away from that and focus on the hard work we’re doing.”

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“We did some negative things last season, but everything was sunny and there were rainbows everywhere. Now it looks like we’re going to be in a relegation battle. That’s the way the world is.”

Salah’s goal was his 250th in all competitions for the club. The 33-year-old, who has been singled out by some critics for suggesting he is fading, said after the match that the victory came at a crucial time with tough matches ahead.

“It’s very important,” Salah began. “We had some losses in the Premier League and Champions League, but now we are back on track and I am happy.

“It was a good (win) before very important games against (Real) Madrid and Manchester City. It’s a very important win for us.”

“I’ve said it from the beginning. I’ve been playing football for many years. I said it was a difficult season for us because we had some new players. We signed some very good players, but they need time to adapt to the old team. We lost some good players too. We just need time to adapt to each other’s game. I think we’ll be okay.”

Speaking about his milestone, he added: “It feels great to score a goal and win a trophy for such a big club. I don’t take it for granted. I’m very proud.”

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‘Steel is back’ – Gerrard and McManaman impressed by comeback

Former Liverpool captain and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard praised the Reds’ return to form and said they seemed to be putting in more effort on the pitch. The home side also felt they were helped by mistakes by Unai Emery’s side.

He commented: “They were physical and I felt their strength came back. Work rate, intensity in possession. I think all the good things came out of the back of it.”

“I think Villa were their own victims. They overplayed in the build-up, made too many mistakes. Aston Villa’s tactics were not wrong. I think the manager got his tactics right and started the game very well. They made too many mistakes in the build-up and Liverpool punished them.”

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Gerrard’s former Anfield teammate Steve McManaman singled out four names for praise, including Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Van Dijk, who have often been criticized this season.

“They’ve come back to Anfield, where they’re very comfortable. I know they lost the last game, but they could have easily gotten three or four points in that game. To get back here we need a great performance from our big players in front of the crowd.”

“I thought Mo was great. (Dominik) Szoboszlai was great again. Konate, Van Dijk looked more confident. We had a good work rate today and we both put in shifts.”

“They were very comfortable. That’s what we expect from them here. Still, they had to deliver under intense pressure from everyone. And that’s what good players do. You have to respond.”