Virgil van Dijk all but conceded that Liverpool’s title challenge is all but over after their ‘disappointing’ 2-0 defeat at rivals Everton on Wednesday night.
Liverpool went to Goodison Park knowing that anything less than a win would practically see them out of the Premier League title race.
But goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin secured Everton’s first home Merseyside derby win since 2010 and all but secured their place in the top-flight for next season.
At the other end of the table, Liverpool remain second, three points behind Arsenal with a far inferior goal difference with just four games to go.
More crucially, they are just a point ahead of Manchester City who have two games in hand over the Reds and the Gunners.
Jamie Carragher was among the pundits to declare that Liverpool were out of the title race, saying: ‘This is the end of the title run for Liverpool.
‘It almost feels like the end. They just have to make sure they finish the season strongly. They are not clinical enough in both boxes.’
Crestfallen club captain Van Dijk appeared to agree, telling Sky Sports: ‘Very disappointed in so many ways. If we play like today we have no chance to consider ourselves in the title [race].
‘I think everyone has to look in the mirror, look at their own performance and if they really gave everything. Do they really want to win the league?
‘We are fighting, there are games after tonight, but play like we did overall in the game like today… not winning challenges and giving the ref an opportunity to give a free-kick like he did many times, then you have no chance to win a title.
‘It’s a tough one and we need to do much better against a side that’s [fighting] relegation. We had clear-cut chances in the first half that we should have scored but we weren’t good enough and it starts with the fight.
‘We can’t let the season go out like this.’
Liverpool will have to pick themselves up for their next game on Saturday when they travel to West Ham.
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