VIRGIL VAN DIJK DEMANDS TOTAL FOCUS AHEAD OF BRUTAL ARSENAL AWAY CLASH
Virgil van Dijk demands a "battle" mindset as Liverpool travel to Arsenal. Analyse the Reds' tactics after their draw with Fulham.
Virgil van Dijk isn’t sugarcoating it—he wants Liverpool ready for a real battle when they head to Arsenal on Thursday. The Reds’ captain says this is exactly the kind of match that should get everyone fired up, especially with their unbeaten streak on the line.
Sunday’s draw at Fulham still stings a bit. Harrison Reed pulled off a last-minute screamer to tie it at 2-2, just after Cody Gakpo’s goal looked like it had wrapped up the win for Liverpool. That result makes two straight draws in 2026.
Now, Liverpool faces the team everyone’s chasing—Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s squad is six points clear of Manchester City and a big fourteen points ahead of Liverpool, who hold third, three points above Chelsea.
Van Dijk isn’t letting the setback at Fulham drag them down. He wants the squad in the right mindset for the trip to the Emirates. “We’ll shake this off, and from Tuesday we’ll start focusing on what Arsenal does well. They’ve got quality all over the pitch—starting and off the bench,” he said.
He knows the challenge ahead. “They haven’t lost at home this season, in any competition. That makes it a great test, and we need to be up for it. I can’t wait, honestly. Everyone should be looking forward to games like this. It’s another big chance for us.”
As it stands, Liverpool sits three points ahead of Chelsea, who managed a late draw against Manchester City thanks to Enzo Fernández. Van Dijk sees the Fulham result as proof that the Premier League is tougher than ever.
“The second half was good. We did everything we could to win and really pushed hard. Playing here is never easy, and yeah, it’s disappointing to concede a goal like that at the end. But that’s football,” he said.
“That’s the Premier League for you. Every game’s a grind. Fulham has made it tough for a lot of teams this season—today was no different.
“We found our urgency in the second half, got ourselves back into it, but then lost it in the final seconds. That hurts.”
He admits it’s easy to focus on the negatives after a result like this, but he wants the team looking ahead. “You have to find the positives and take them into the next match. That’s just how it is.
“Honestly, if you look at the squad, Gakpo had to fill in up front, and we had five midfielders behind him. That’s the reality right now. But we keep fighting. We keep moving. Arsenal’s up next.”
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
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