Virgil van Dijk has insisted Liverpool will be ready for a fierce battle when they travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal this weekend, as the Reds prepare for another defining test in the Premier League top four race, Softfootball reports.
Reigning champions Liverpool head into the fixture having already edged Mikel Arteta’s side earlier in the season, and Van Dijk is relishing the prospect of going head-to-head with an Arsenal team that has been formidable on home soil.
The Liverpool captain was speaking to club media in comments shared via the team’s official X handle. Reflecting on Sunday’s 2-2 draw away at Fulham, the Dutch defender made it clear that recovery comes first before the full focus shifts to Arsenal.Van Dijk said.
First of all we will recover from this, but from Tuesday on we will definitely look at the strength that they have. They have a fantastic squad with players on the pitch and also coming from the bench.
The centre-back was quick to acknowledge the size of the task awaiting Liverpool in north London, highlighting Arsenal’s impressive home record this season. he added
We all know at home they are unbeaten this season, I think, in all competitions. So it is a nice challenge and we should be ready for a big fight.
Despite the difficulty of the fixture, Van Dijk stressed that these are exactly the type of games players look forward to, urging his teammates to embrace the occasion rather than fear it.The skipper continued:
I’m really looking forward to it and I think everyone should,that is the only way to try to get a result over there. There is no reason to not look forward to it, in my opinion. Another opportunity, but first recover and then we’ll focus on that.
Liverpool will also take confidence from the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, when they defeated Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield. On that occasion, a thunderbolt late free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai proved decisive, sealing all three points for the Reds.
With both sides expected to be firmly in the title conversation, Van Dijk’s words set the tone for what promises to be a high-intensity showdown at the Emirates this Thursday.
