Virgil van Dijk has laid down the challenge ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round clash with League One side Barnsley at Anfield tonight, as the Reds begin their journey in this season’s competition. The Liverpool captain, who lifted the trophy with the club in 2021/22, stressed the importance of focus, mentality and respect for the opposition in a tournament known for its unpredictability, Softfootball reports.
Writing in his pre-match column shared via Liverpool’s official X handle, Van Dijk also reflected on the positives taken from last week’s hard-fought Premier League draw away at Arsenal, while addressing the concern surrounding Conor Bradley, who has since been ruled out for the remainder of the season after picking up an injury late in that game.
With Liverpool now 10 games unbeaten in all competitions, the skipper believes there is a foundation to build on, but warned against complacency, especially against motivated lower-league opposition with nothing to lose.
Virgil van Dijk wrote:
It is always a privilege to play at Anfield, and we return to our home tonight with a straightforward aim: to deliver a performance everyone associated with the club can be proud of.
We will never be fully satisfied with a draw, even away from home against a top opponent, but I think we could take a lot of positives from Thursday’s Premier League game at Arsenal.
Sadly, I have to start with the negative side. The injury suffered by Conor Bradley in the closing stages of the match soured the evening for us all. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Conor a full and speedy recovery. We will be there for him every step of the way.
In terms of the game, I think there are a lot of things we can reflect upon positively. The togetherness we showed, and the way we were able to defend as a team and then take control of the game in the second half, was very good, in my opinion, and represents the kind of spirit and mentality we need to show on a consistent basis going forward.
It hasn’t been perfect, by any means, but we are now 10 games unbeaten, and that gives us something to build on, in what has so far been a very challenging season for us. We have shown recently that we are still very much together, fighting for everything.
There have been so many occasions down the years in which a smaller team has defeated a bigger one, and that is what makes this one of the most special competitions in world football.
Of course, we experienced that for ourselves last season, when we lost to Plymouth Argyle, and we certainly want to avoid a repeat this evening.
Make no mistake, this will be a tough test for us. Barnsley will be coming here with a lot of motivation, they have nothing to lose in many ways, and they will have a lot of fans behind them from the first whistle to the last.
So we all have to be ready for a proper game. It doesn’t matter what competition you play in, or against which opponent, when you wear the Liverpool shirt you are expected to perform and to win.
That is a responsibility we all take extremely seriously, and hopefully we can give you guys plenty to shout about this evening.
The road to Wembley starts here.
Read the full column via Liverpool’s official website.
Liverpool will be keen to avoid a repeat of last season’s early FA Cup exit and set the right tone from the outset, knowing that Anfield under the lights can be decisive if matched with intensity and discipline. With Van Dijk leading from the front, the message is clear: reputation alone counts for nothing, and progression must be earned the hard way.
