Virgil van Dijk offers verdict on Mikel Arteta ahead of Arsenal vs Liverpool

By Josh Barker

Published: March 16, 2022 2:27 pm

Last Updated: March 16, 2022 2:54 pm

Virgil van Dijk has been speaking about Arsenal and their manager, Mikel Arteta, ahead of their meeting with Liverpool on Wednesday.

The Merseysiders face off with Arteta and co at 8.15pm on Wednesday evening.

Ahead of the game, van Dijk was asked if Arsenal are one of the most difficult games in the Premier League right now, answering: “Yes, obviously they are a fantastic club with great history.

On Arteta specifically, van Dijk added: “I think Arteta is doing a fantastic job there, he has the confidence from their board and they are definitely building towards something good, I think. They have a clear philosophy and identity and it’s never easy, especially down there.

“We won there in the Carabao Cup but it was very tough. We have to be very ready, intensity-wise as well, and just go for it. We will try everything to win the game and get a good result. Then we will see if that is enough.”

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Van Dijk on Liverpool’s busy schedule

In the same interview, the Liverpool defender was asked about having to play a game every three or four days.

The hectic schedule of the Premier League’s top sides is something Jurgen Klopp has moaned about for many years now.

And whilst the German is not a fan, van Dijk looks to be relishing the number of games he is playing:

“I love it,” van Dijk stated when asked about the demands of the fixture scheduled. “Playing games is the nicest thing to do, in my opinion. It’s not easy with the amount of games, the intensity of the games, the intensity of how we play our games and travelling in between.

“I am enjoying every bit of it, even when it gets tough and when you sometimes are really tired, it’s all part of it and I’m enjoying all of it.

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