Van Dijk Addresses Liverpool’s Inconsistencies Following Bournemouth Defeat

Captain Virgil van Dijk has acknowledged that Liverpool is currently grappling with inconsistency, although he emphasized that the team’s unity remains intact. This statement follows the club’s recent setback in their quest for Champions League qualification, marked by a dramatic 3-2 loss to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, made a commendable effort to recover after falling two goals behind. However, a last-minute strike from Bournemouth’s Amine Adli sealed their fate, dashing hopes following an unbeaten run of 13 matches, which included a resounding 3-0 victory in European play against Marseille. Despite the positive outcome in Europe, the team has struggled domestically, managing only four points from a possible 15 in 2026 and drawing their last four league matches.

As they find themselves trailing behind league leaders Arsenal, Liverpool faces a tough challenge to secure a top-four finish, further complicating their title defense. Van Dijk remarked, “I don’t think there’s any question about our togetherness. But the consistency that we’re looking for, that’s something that still needs to be found. That’s the reality.”

He continued, acknowledging the mixed reactions to their performances: “There was a lot of praise for our performances, a lot of individual acclaim, but three days later, after a win against Marseille, we lose a game like we did. That’s something we have to deal with. We want to perform and win games, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

In the match against Bournemouth, Van Dijk defended his performance under challenging weather conditions. He miscalculated a critical ball leading to Evanilson’s opening goal and inadvertently kept Álex Jiménez onside for the second goal. Notably, Liverpool was down to ten men at the time of Jiménez’s goal due to a substitution being made for the injured Joe Gomez.

Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding Adli’s decisive goal, Van Dijk expressed his feelings of being obstructed, stating, “What I felt on the pitch was that I was clearly blocked, but obviously the ref and VAR don’t give it, and that’s something we then have to accept.”

Regarding the initial goal, he noted, “The first goal was a difficult ball to judge under the circumstances—the wind was tricky. It was especially evident when we played long balls on their side, it was very difficult to judge. To concede those two goals in such a short span is obviously not good at all.”

In contrast, Bournemouth has seen a resurgence after a challenging period, recently accumulating seven points from their last three matches. Adli, who replaced top scorer Antoine Semenyo, noted the importance of team morale, stating, “I’m a team player. To see my team-mates happy is the most important thing for me. This victory is massive for us.”