Liverpool will not use Spurs’ contentious winner as motivation – Virgil van Dijk | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk insisted Liverpool would not use Lucas Bergvall’s contentious late winner for Tottenham as motivation ahead of next month’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

Liverpool tasted defeat under Arne Slot for the first time since September on Wednesday after Bergvall fired home in the 86th minute to give Spurs a 1-0 victory, moments after he avoided a second yellow card for a late tackle on Kostas Tsimikas.

Captain Van Dijk made his irritation clear to referee Stuart Attwell after Bergvall’s challenge and at full-time, but played down suggestions the Premier League leaders would use that as fuel before Tottenham travel to Anfield on February 6 for the second leg.

“The frustration was purely on the pitch. After the game you can’t do anything about it any more and unfortunately for us, it ended up with him scoring the winner,” Van Dijk reflected.

“It doesn’t work like that. We don’t need that motivation. We know we will be 1-0 down when the game is played at Anfield so we have to fight.

“We have to do it all together, with our fans and the players. Obviously, hopefully everyone is fit and let’s see if we can do it.

“It will be tough because they are a very good team in my opinion, with a very good manager but we’re going to go for it.

“We’re in a semi-final, we know how much they would like to win it but I know for a fact we would love to win it again and maybe even more.”

Liverpool had put six past Tottenham last month, but struggled to create clear-cut chances in north London before substitute Darwin Nunez had two efforts saved in the second half by home debutant Antonin Kinsky.

Slot had enjoyed a near-perfect start to life in the hotseat at Anfield, but since the start of December the Reds have been held to three draws and lost once across 10 matches.

However, Van Dijk claimed fatigue was not an issue and acknowledged further difficult moments would be on the horizon for a squad fully focused on Saturday’s visit of Accrington, in the third round of the FA Cup.

He added: “I can only speak for myself and at the moment we are feeling fine (fitness-wise).

“We are going to have more difficult moments, that’s a fact. We have been there before and that’s the beauty of playing for Liverpool. Every game you play is difficult.

“The pressure is always on us as players because of the size of the club and everything we went through and it’s a good thing. You have to embrace it and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season.

I don’t like losing and in the manner we lost, it was unnecessary, but yeah there is an opportunity to make this right

Virgil van Dijk

“We focus now on recovery and focus on Accrington. They deserve our respect and we’re in the FA Cup, it’s our main focus.

“I don’t like losing and in the manner we lost, it was unnecessary, but yeah there is an opportunity to make this right. That will be in a couple of weeks’ time.

“Up until then we have to work and fight like we always have been doing throughout the whole season, win games and the first one is Saturday.”

Van Dijk was also hopeful young defender Jarell Quansah – substituted after 30 minutes at Spurs – would recover from illness in time to face Accrington.