Virgil van Dijk praised Liverpool’s fighting spirit after yet another late goal secured three points, this time against Burnley at Turf Moor.
For the fourth straight Premier League game, the Reds had to wait until the closing minutes to break the deadlock. It was Mohamed Salah who stepped up in the 95th minute, calmly converting a penalty to seal a 1–0 victory and preserve Arne Slot’s perfect start in the league.
Van Dijk, who has embraced his role as Liverpool captain this season, admitted it was far from an easy afternoon. Burnley set up with a deep defensive block, forcing the Reds to be patient and to trust that persistence would eventually pay off.
“Fair play to Burnley,” Van Dijk said afterwards. “They defended well, they kept running and fighting. We had to try absolutely everything to find a way through. In the end we got the penalty, and I think it was well deserved.”
For Van Dijk, what mattered most was not just the result but the way Liverpool carried themselves in the toughest moments.
“If you look at our body language, we kept pushing and motivating each other. We didn’t let frustration creep in. It could easily have ended in a draw, but because we stayed positive and kept going, the breakthrough finally came,” he reflected.
The captain also pointed out that Liverpool’s ability to strike late has become a defining theme in the early weeks of the season. While no team sets out to leave it so late, he sees it as proof of the resilience and self-belief running through the squad.
“No one wants to wait until the last 10 minutes to win a game, but it shows our mentality,” he explained. “We kept repeating the right patterns, we didn’t give much away defensively, and we believed the chance would come. That’s the most important thing.”
The weekend was doubly sweet for Van Dijk. Away from Turf Moor, Liverpool’s U13s were crowned winners of the Virgil’s Legacy Trophy in the Netherlands, a youth tournament named in his honour. It gave the skipper even more reason to celebrate as he looked back on a perfect weekend for both club and academy.
With four wins from four in the league and Champions League action on the horizon, Van Dijk insists the message is simple: keep believing, keep working, and keep finding a way.
