'We are in crisis now?' - Virgil van Dijk responds to Liverpool form as new question asked
Nobody said winning the Premier League was easy. And Liverpool more than most know the challenges that must be overcome to fend off rivals in the modern era.
This season, though, is shaping up to be more old school regards the title race, with it unlikely that, as has been the case during the recent period of Manchester City domination, a final points tally in excess of 90 was required to realistically even threaten Pep Guardiola's side.
As Liverpool were coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at top-three challengers Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening, City's 2-2 draw at Brentford means the champions can now only reach a maximum of 86 points in the unlikely event of them winning all 17 of their remaining games.
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Indeed, with almost half the campaign still to play, only the Reds, Forest and Arsenal can still reach the 90-point mark, underlining the competitive nature of this season's Premier League. Nevertheless, the ghosts of failed title challenges of recent past still linger among Liverpool supporters, meaning every failure to win, no matter how strong or in-form the opposition, is greeted with angst by some.
While still in a strong position at the summit, Arne Slot's side have now won just three of their last seven games in the Premier League, the first sign of, if not a blip, then certainly a slight drop in overall standards.
After the busy festive period, it's become a time to dig in and show resolve. And experienced skipper Virgil van Dijk had a firm response when informed of Liverpool's top-flight form.
"Oh, so are we in crisis now?" he smirks. "It only confirms that the Premier League is a tough league where you play against opponents that are very good. Forest was always going to be tough - same as Man Utd at home with a new manager and their gameplan. Every game is tough and we have to find a way to win.
"We should have won (against Forest), could have won, but the reality is we take the point at a difficult ground on a difficult evening. In terms of the toughness of the game, we had many chances and we could have won the game against a team that don't concede many chances.
"Did we deserve to win? It doesn't work like that, you know. They worked their socks off and credit to them, that is what they have been doing so far. They have been very good and they made it very difficult for us as we expected.
"But I think we could have scored at least a couple. If we keep pushing and finding opportunities, I am very confident that we will score goals like we have been doing all season. If we play like the second half and finish off the chances, it will be fine. So we keep going."
Substitute Diogo Jota scored with his first touch to equalise Chris Wood's opener with Forest reliant on a series of saves from goalkeeper Matz Sels during a closing quarter in which Liverpool dominated.
No Premier League team has earned more than the 14 points the Reds have now won from losing positions, and Van Dijk adds: "It shows resilience. No-one wants to come from behind so we are working on that and we need everyone in the best shape to prevent it. The only thing we can do is try and do it better in the next game.
"I don't think anyone should not feel confident at the moment. We have been outstanding throughout the whole season with everything we have been doing. In games, sometimes things don't always go your way. That is part of life and part of being a football player.
"You can't be perfect all the time but the hard work we put in so far should give us the confidence to show who we are. That is how I see it and we try to ensure everyone is thinking like that. So far this season, it has been going well. A draw (at Forest) and a draw against United maybe doesn't feel great, but we have another opportunity on Saturday."
That comes at Brentford, a venue where Liverpool have won only once since the Bees were promoted to the Premier League four years ago. The Londoners came from 2-0 down to hold City on Tuesday, ending a run of three successive defeats at a previously impregnable home.
"That is a great result for them," says Van Dijk. "They have been very good at home especially. It is always going to be a tough game over there and we prepare in the best way possible. We have to make sure we are fully fit."
And while Arsenal have emerged as Liverpool's most obvious rivals for the title, Van Dijk is refusing to rule out Forest who still have to welcome the Gunners, City and Chelsea to the City Ground this season.
"The last games, they have been very consistent in the way they defend - very compact," he says. "They have players who can hurt you on the break and they keep clean sheets, which is very important. They are doing a very good job and let's see what happens.
"There are so many games to go and they (Forest) don't play in Europe, so that gives them maybe a little extra rest. But it is all about the next game and it is only a big credit to how they are performing so far, with their fans behind them. They make a fantastic atmosphere and we still managed to do very well in the second half."