Van Dijk: 'Liverpool has enough quality to overcome the crisis'

Captain Virgil van Dijk confirmed that Liverpool retains sufficient "quality" to bounce back, even after their fourth straight defeat in the Premier League following the 2-3 loss to Brentford on the morning of October 26.

After a nearly month-long poor run of form, the reigning English champions have dropped to 6th place in the standings. If Arsenal beats Crystal Palace, the gap between the "Gunners" and Arne Slot's team could widen to 7 points, delivering a heavy blow to Liverpool’s title defense ambitions.

In London, Liverpool’s defense continued to reveal many issues against Brentford’s counter-attacks and set-piece situations. Statistics show the "Reds" have conceded two or more goals in 6 of their last 9 matches and have yet to keep a clean sheet in the first 9 rounds of the season.

Van Dijk shared with TNT Sports after the game: “It's hard to explain. The fact that we haven’t kept a clean sheet in 9 matches is alarming. But instead of blaming anyone (the defense, set-pieces, or any individual), we must see this as a collective issue. Everyone needs to reflect on themselves, including me.”

The Dutch center-back emphasized that the whole team must unite to make a comeback: “I believe we will get through this phase, but it’s not enough to just talk. We need to act, improve. We need each other, and the support of the fans who celebrated with us last season. Especially now, they must stand by us even more. I believe Liverpool has enough quality, both in attack and defense, to return.”

Meanwhile, coach Arne Slot expressed clear disappointment, calling this the "worst" performance since he took charge of Liverpool, despite previous losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Manchester United.

Slot said: “You can’t compare all the losses, but the most concerning thing is that we’ve lost four times in a row. And in terms of performance, today was the worst of them all.”

Following this defeat, pressure is mounting on both coach Slot and key players like Van Dijk and Salah, as Liverpool face their worst Premier League start in over three decades.