Virgil van Dijk agrees with Arne Slot on major area Liverpool 'has to improve'

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk spoke to reporters following the 2-1 win over Wolves in the Premier League, in which Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz both scored

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)

Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool must improve when it comes to set-pieces after a major shortcoming was exposed on Saturday against Wolves, giving the Reds a tougher second half than was necessary.

Arne Slot's men were cruising to the three points after goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz had put them into a comfortable lead. However, Santiago Bueno scored from a corner shortly after the interval when Ibrahima Konate was outmuscled and the Wolves defender was quickest to react to the second ball.

Liverpool head coach Slot has spoken numerous times this season about needing to improve his team's goal difference when it comes to dead balls. On Saturday, he was just pleased to have won regardless of conceding once again.

"There have been plenty of games when we have defended [set-pieces] very well," Van Dijk said. "But the fact is, we've conceded too many set-piece goals and we don't score enough.

"It's about repetition, training, analysing... it's something we have to improve. I'd say at least 75 per cent of the time or even more, it's not even about the first contact, it's the second phase that is the killer.

"Is it a mental thing? I hope not. If that's in your head then it's an issue. Personally, it's not in my head. We have defended so many set-pieces very well.

Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker of Liverpool embrace at full-time following the team's victory during the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on December 27 2025(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

"But the fact is we've conceded too many goals like that and it hurts. We have to improve that. Training is the only way to get better at it."

Tolu Arokodare was the man who outjumped Konate and he caused Liverpool problems all game. A more potent attacking unit would perhaps have been able to take advantage even more.

"Each and every one of us has to take responsibility," Van Dijk said. "It's always going to be on the players.

"We can speak about how we defend and how we attack, but at the end of the day it's about what the players put in.

"It's not been good enough. We all realize that. We have spoken about that. We need to turn it around. That's why we work on it almost every training session."

"It's something we have to improve. It's about training and using our experiences to get better at dealing with situations like Saturday.

"We will analyze and speak about it. I know it sounds easy but it's a difficult thing to do. It's a process and we have to keep trying to do it. If it was easy then we would have sorted it already."