Virgil van Dijk makes 'ironic' Liverpool admission after Chelsea - with 'main focus' clear

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is confident that his team can turn things around after three successive defeats in all competitions — insisting that results and momentum can change quickly.

Arne Slot's side lost a second Premier League game in a row in the last minute, with Chelsea's Brazilian teenager Estevao the hero on Saturday for the Blues, a week on from Eddie Nketiah's strike for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. In between, Liverpool also lost 1-0 in the Champions League against Galatasaray.

"To concede like that is obviously not a great feeling, especially going into the international break," Van Dijk told reporters at Stamford Bridge.

"Now we have a very tough seven, eight days. It was always going to be a difficult season. I mentioned it from the very start already.

"We have to go through this as one, not only us as players but also the staff, and our fans who celebrated being champions, which is something we shouldn't forget.

"It is a bit ironic that we concede in two different games in the last minute. There is still plenty of work to do. We know in football, every three or four days, things can change and momentum can change.

"But we have to work to get there first. The seven, eight days have been tough for all of us but we are the ones, together with the staff and the fans, who can turn this around. I'm confident of that."

Liverpool spent around $600M in the summer transfer market — with plenty of sales to offset that outlay — and there was a substantial turnover of playing staff. But Van Dijk says integrating new stars and forging new relationships isn't the only factor at play that explains a tricky period.

"It is not that easy," he said. "Obviously it plays a part as well, but that shouldn't be the only focus. It is a combination of everything.

"It is down to us to work to turn this around and find consistency, to not concede goals, to score goals, to create, to not give up chances against us.

"How we work, it happened all season last year, and everything was positive and everyone was happy, and now we have a little blip, if you want to call it like that, and now we need everyone more than ever to support us and be there for us.

"Like I said, every three or four days is another opportunity, after the international break now, to find that momentum and consistency, and keep it."

A draw at Chelsea would have left Liverpool level on points with Arsenal but Estevao's last-minute winner means the Reds are now second in the standings — the first time since matchweek nine of last season that it isn't at least jointly leading the way.

"I saw the celebrations, and rightly so," Van Dijk said. "But I thought the celebrations went over two minutes, so I looked at the clock when he blew his whistle — it was 98. I was thinking, 'How is that possible?'.

"I was just asking a very polite question at that point — I'm not angry or aggressive. I was just asking where the logic behind it is.

"But that is not where the main focus should be. We should improve. That should be the main focus. We know even more than ever and the good thing is we have opportunities to do so when we come back.

"It is about us seeing that perspective as players and staff. I want the fans to also see that perspective as well. But we live in a world where there is so much noise going on and you have to deal with that as well.

"It is down to us to keep working, find results, stick together, and find confidence. What I said to you already before, keep clean sheets, score goals.

"What we were doing last year, when everyone was so happy. Now we have a little bit of a tough moment, which can change pretty quickly, but we have to work for it.

"That is something we realize and we need to do it all together, as we always have been doing over these years, especially when I've been here at the club because there have been some ups and downs.

"That is the only way out of it. It sounds maybe a bit simple, but that is the only way to do it. Let's go for it. No fan of us wants to come here and lose and go home and feel disappointed. So we have to keep going and stick together.

"I've been at the club for such a long time, there have been many difficult situations and we got out of them. It's not for everyone to just accept it and move on, but the only thing we can do is focus on the next opportunity we have and work on it.

"Obviously now everyone goes to different countries and everyone has the responsibility to try and stay fit and do well. But when we come back, we have a very big game against Man Utd where I am already very much looking forward to it.

"It's an opportunity again to show what we have been showing last year throughout the whole season. That is the reason we became champions and made so many people around the world happy.

"Now we need the chance to get to that point again, and work is the basis to it, finding consistency and sticking together."

Slot has never lost three games on the spin before, and Liverpool hasn't done so since a tricky 2022/23 season under Jurgen Klopp.

"Disappointed that we lost in the last minute," Van Dijk said of Slot's reaction. "But there were a lot of good things, especially in the second half, that we can build on.

"At the end of the day, we live in a results business. Losing is just disappointing and we have to obviously get back to winning. That's the game and that's the responsibility that we have."