Diogo Jota and Virgil van Dijk Reflect on Liverpool’s Merseyside Derby Triumph
Diogo Jota and Virgil van Dijk were absolutely thrilled after Liverpool clinched a vital three points in Wednesday night’s Merseyside derby.
Jota’s second-half strike against Everton at Anfield restored the Reds’ 12-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with just eight games left to play this season.
A hard-fought contest between the two city rivals was broken open by Jota’s skilful run and cool-headed finish in front of the Kop, following a 57th-minute assist.
After the 1-0 victory, the match-winning forward and his captain shared their thoughts with Sky Sports. Here’s what they had to say:
On how crucial the win was…
Jota: “Huge, of course, not just because it’s a derby, but because following this international break, we’re heading into the final stretch of nine matches. It was really important to kick off with three points. Hopefully, that gives us the momentum we need for the rest of the season.”
On the match itself…
Van Dijk: “You face Everton, and they really make it tough for you. As we’ve seen in the past few seasons, matches against them are always challenging. They play in a way that demands you be prepared in every area. The first half wasn’t our best performance, but Jots scored a brilliant goal, we kept a clean sheet, and most importantly, we earned three points. Now, we move on.”
On how much he relished his goal…
Jota: “I always back myself. I trust that the chances will come, and when they do, I need to be there to seize them. I hope this game sparks a good run for me that can benefit the team. As I said, getting the three points was the absolute priority today.
