VIRGIL VAN DIJK BLAMES THE WEATHER FOR BOURNEMOUTH BLUNDER AS LIVERPOOL STREAK SNAPS
Virgil van Dijk admits a "tricky" wind caused his error in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat. Slot’s side is now five games winless.
Virgil van Dijk had a pretty odd excuse for his part in Bournemouth’s first goal as Liverpool’s 13-game unbeaten streak finally snapped in a wild 3-2 loss.
Liverpool actually clawed their way back from 2-0 down, with Van Dijk himself nodding in a corner and Szoboszlai curling in a free kick on either side of halftime. For a while, it looked like they might pull off a comeback. They kept pushing for a winner, but then, right at the death, Amine Adli poked in Bournemouth’s third with the last kick of the game. Brutal.
So now Liverpool haven’t won in five Premier League matches—four draws in a row before this, and now this gut-punch against Bournemouth.
Van Dijk, who did score before halftime, definitely didn’t cover himself in glory for that first Bournemouth goal. He misjudged a long ball, scuffed the clearance, and Alex Scott pounced, setting up Evanilson to tuck it away.
After the match, Van Dijk claimed the wind down on the south coast threw him off for that mistake. “The first goal was a tough one to judge; the wind was very tricky,” he told Sky Sports. “You could see it when we played long balls on that side—it was just hard to read. So, conceding like that isn’t great.”
He added, “Letting in two quick goals is never good. My goal before halftime gave us some momentum, and I think we showed that in the second half. We worked so hard to get back into it, had a free kick and some big chances too, but in the end, that throw-in finished us off.”
Van Dijk looked genuinely gutted. “Honestly, conceding in the last minute is really tough to take. We put in so much work in the second half, so to lose it that late just hurts.”
Alex Scott, the Bournemouth midfielder who capitalised on Van Dijk’s error, agreed the wind made things awkward. “The wind made it tricky for Virgil,” he told Sky Sports. “First half, we were playing into it; second half, we had it behind us. It definitely played a part in that goal. For Virgil, I think the ball just hung in the air, and I was there to take advantage. I’m obviously happy we got that early goal.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot didn’t want to lay all the blame on his captain. “I don’t think it’s fair to put it all on Virgil for that first goal,” he said afterwards. “You could see just how much the wind affected the game.”
Slot did point out that fatigue was a factor, too. “We equalised at 2-2, and after that it was wide open. Both teams had chances; maybe they had even more than us. It’s not a shock, really—we played in Marseille just two days ago, and for the last stretch we’ve had to use the same players over and over. Some of them looked tired by the end. You could definitely see it today.”
Liverpool is still fourth in the table, but if Manchester United, Chelsea, Brentford, and Newcastle all win on Sunday, they could easily drop down a few spots.
They’re straight back into it in midweek, too, with their last Champions League group game at home against Qarabag.
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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