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Virgil van Dijk breaks down 'disappointing' Liverpool defeat and admits 'reality check'

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk issued his verdict on the team's display in the home loss versus Nottingham Forest
-Credit: (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)


Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that the defeat to manner of the defeat against Nottingham Forest was "disappointing" as he acknowledged the result represented a "reality check".

The Reds skipper played the whole 90 minutes of the loss as the visitors came away with all three points after a 1-0 win courtesy of a Callum Hudson-Odoi strike. Both sides came into the clash unbeaten, with the Merseysiders boasting an unblemished record after the first three games of the season.

However, that momentum was dramatically halted as Nuno Espirito Santo's team earned a first victory at Anfield since 1969. Now, Van Dijk has confessed that the performance did not hit the expected standards on a day to forget on home soil as he acknowledged that consistency will be required in order to challenge for major honors this term.

Speaking following the game, the Dutchman broke down where he felt things went wrong for the team as they succumbed to a first ever loss of Arne Slot's reign. He offered: "First of all it was a very disappointing day. The result and also most of the performance was too rushed and we lost too many second balls.

"We know how direct they are so playing against a big striker you can sometimes lose a challenge and you have to be ready for the second ball and every time there was a second ball they were on the right side of it.

"They got momentum in terms of getting the winning the right challenges and they did they job very well and in terms of ourselves we weren't good enough. That's the disappointing point of it."

Virgil van Dijk admitted that the defeat against Nottingham Forest is something that Liverpool will look to learn from
Virgil van Dijk admitted that the defeat against Nottingham Forest is something that Liverpool will look to learn from -Credit:Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Addressing whether the international break has affected the team's rhythm after such a bright star to the campaign, he said: "It's difficult for me to say. Everyone is coming back from different places and playing a different way but still I think even today when we were not at our best we created chances and it should have gone better.

"But it is a performance we are definitely not happy with, we expect a lot better from ourselves and losing at home is something that can't happen," the club captain continued, as he vowed that the team will look to put things right in midweek versus AC Milan. "We have to turn it around pretty quickly and that will be the focus."

As for lack of spark in the performance as the new boss fell to to an inaugural defeat since taking over from Jurgen Klopp, Van Dijk added: "We still tried but I think we were too rushed, we put the ball in the box a bit too quick or over played it and then you don't get the momentum you want to get.

"Overall it was a disappointing afternoon, something we didn't want to happen but we have to turn this around and make this a sort of a reality check to be better for the rest of the season because if you want to achieve things this season the contrast between the games we played is too big."