Virgil van Dijk Sends a Strong Message to Arsenal with Claims of Liverpool ‘War’
Virgil van Dijk has sent a message ahead of a potentially title-deciding Premier League match.
The season’s final international break is over, and as players return to their club sides, attention turns to the final stretch. Approximately nine teams appear to be fighting for relegation, with six fighting for European places, two in the mid-table pack, and two others vying for the Premier League title.
Arsenal and Manchester City are fighting it out at the top, with roughly 10 games remaining to make a charge towards the top by late May. The Gunners currently lead their rivals by eight points, despite having played an extra game and no remaining cup competition distractions.
“I don’t know,” Mikel Arteta responded when asked if his side are favourites to win the league in the final few games. “We just discuss what we discuss internally to be really humble, to work on the next training session and try to be better every day and that’s our focus. There’s still a huge part of the season to be completed.”
There appear to be some major clashes before the season’s end, the most notable of which is the match between City and Arsenal. Another is a match against Liverpool, which both teams have coming up in the coming weeks, which means the Reds could have a big say in the race to lift the trophy.
This weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, with star defender Virgil van Dijk sending a message that will please Arsenal fans. When asked about facing fellow countryman Nathan Ake in the fight, he said, “I am very close with Nathan, also in everyday life.”
We live close to each other, our families get along very well and we see each other every week. Nat has been in a good flow all year but he is also modest. He is playing so well at the moment and is so important for our national team and Man City. He is achieving a very consistent level and people do not realise that is the hardest thing for a footballer to do.
“I am happy for him because I see what’s going on behind the scenes and how much he’s put in for it. On Saturday, he will probably be up against Mo Salah and hopefully we can get a good result. When the whistle blows, it’s battle and a war on the pitch. After that, we pick up the friendship again and there are more important things in life than football.”
The Gunners will be hoping for a result from the Dutch defender that will put them in a position to potentially move 11 points clear at the weekend.
