Liverpool will not get carried away by lofty expectations of winning a quadruple this season, captain Virgil van Dijk said on Thursday after his side thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 at Anfield to set up an EFL Cup final clash with Newcastle United.
Van Dijk completed the rout with a header after goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai as holders Liverpool sealed a 4-1 aggregate win, booking their return to Wembley on March 16.
Arne Slot’s side lead the Premier League with 56 points, six ahead of second-placed Arsenal. Liverpool have reached the UEFA Champions League’s last-16 after topping the league phase and face Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of the FA Cup tomorrow.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Liverpool find themselves in a familiar position, chasing glory on four fronts once again, having come close in recent years. They are determined to avoid the collapse they faced under Juergen Klopp last season.
“No, the expectation is that we have to manage and try and win every game ahead of us. And not quadruple or thinking about what ‘could be’ in the meantime,” Van Dijk told CBS Sports after Thursday’s game. “Every game that we play is going to be difficult, from now until the end of the season. To be in every competition will be fantastic, hopefully, because that’s what we work for.”
“Let’s see. I think we just have to enjoy the whole ride,” he said. “Don’t worry about other teams, just worry about ourselves. That’s what I tell the boys.”
After lifting the EFL Cup last year, Liverpool’s Premier League title push faltered. They were eliminated from the FA Cup by Manchester United and the UEFA Europa League by eventual winners Atalanta BC.
In the 2021-2022 season, having won the EFL Cup and FA Cup, Liverpool’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple was thwarted as Real Madrid defeated them 1-0 in the Champions League final and Manchester City pipped them to the league title by a point.
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