Van Dijk addresses Salah situation with telling admission | OneFootball

A week shaped by external noise and internal standards was ultimately reframed by Liverpool’s captain with words that quietly explained where we really are as a group.

Virgil van Dijk spoke after our 2-0 win over Brighton, a result that extended our unbeaten run to five games and followed a Champions League victory away at Inter Milan.

Mo Salah returned to the squad after missing the midweek European tie and made an immediate impact from the bench, providing an assist for Hugo Ekitike at Anfield.

Speaking via BBC Sport, the Dutch defender made Liverpool’s position clear.

“We showed this week that we are absolutely united,” Van Dijk said. “We go forward as one.”

Van Dijk on Salah return and Liverpool unity

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Van Dijk’s comments landed because they addressed the situation without inflaming it.

“Mo is going to Afcon and we all hope that he’ll be successful there,” the 34-year-old added. “And he’ll come back and be important for us for the rest of the season.”

The centre-back also acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Salah’s future, saying: “I hope that he stays because he is one of my leaders and still very important for the football club.”

That message aligned closely with what Curtis Jones said after Brighton, when the academy graduate explained: “We all love Mo… I don’t think his intentions were to affect the team.”

On the pitch, the response spoke loudly as Salah’s assist took him to 277 Premier League goal involvements for us, a competition record for a single club.

Van Dijk praise highlights Slot management

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Van Dijk also reserved praise for Arne Slot.

“I think he has handled the situation very well,” the Netherlands international said. “Calm in his own way and it’s a very tricky situation.”

He added: “There’s a lot of noise and pressure from the outside world and rightly so because we’ve not been up to the standard.”

That assessment mirrored Arne Slot’s own comments after Brighton, when the Dutchman said: “Actions speak louder than what has been said.”

For Liverpool, this week became a stress test rather than a breaking point.

Van Dijk summed it up simply: “We go through the good times together… but when the difficult moments arise we also have to stick together.”

Right now, that togetherness feels more important than anything else.

You can watch Slot’s post-Brighton press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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