Virgil van Dijk reckons winning the Premier League title will be even more difficult than last season.
It’s often said that retaining is trickier than getting the first one over the line – and our 7-2 demolition at the hands of Aston Villa suggests that we are perhaps more vulnerable than first thought.
VVD has not been at his imperious best yet, either, but the Dutchman is the best central defender on the planet and we’re backing him, alongside his team-mates, to prove Sunday night’s loss was a blip and no more.
“I think trying to stay at the top is the hardest thing to do,” he told Eddie Hearn’s ‘No Passion No Point’ podcast on BBC Sounds. “Everyone wants to see you fall when you reach the top.
“That is what life is about, especially these days. For me, I want to give everything I have got until I retire and then have no regrets after.
“I don’t want any regrets afterwards, I think that would be the worst feeling you can have. It is going to be challenging times coming up. We are champions – something that took a while.
“We should enjoy the moment and go for it.”
Next up for Liverpool is Everton, the country’s in-form side, at Goodison Park. In truth, it’s the first time in a long while we’ve not gone into a Merseyside Derby with 100% confidence.
But Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will be utterly determined to show the world what they’re capable of and bounce back.
We just hope nobody else gets coronavirus, which is already having a massive affect on our season – and that the international break is kind to us in terms of injuries.