Van Dijk admitted after the game that he should take "full responsibility" as mistakes by the Dutch centre-back and Alisson gave Arsenal the chance to score a crucial second goal at the Emirates Stadium.
When the game reached the 67th minute, Arsenal played a long pass at the back, Alisson and Van Dijk seemed to have a problem with communication, and Alisson did not kick the ball after the attack, which gave Martinelli the opportunity to hit the empty net directly.
Virgil van Dijk also explained the goal after the game. 'It was a tough day,' he admitted to Sky Sports after the game, 'and I think I take full responsibility for the second goal we conceded. It was an important moment in the game. I should have made a better decision – and it was painful for me. ”
As I said, it was a big turning point in the game. After the break we did well, we had chances and we had the advantage and the atmosphere was tense again. It's my responsibility to concede this goal and I should try not to let them get this chance. Obviously, in my career, this kind of thing won't happen very often, but I'll learn my lesson and pick it up again. It's a game that emphasises physicality and I'm not going to make excuses for conceding goals. In the best matchups, this can often be the decisive moment for the game. Alisson touched me and he couldn't control the ball, but I take full responsibility for that and I'm going to try to make sure it doesn't happen again. ”
Just a month ago, they had an impressive performance on their last trip to north London, as they also ended up knocking out Arsenal 2-0 in the FA Cup. Sunday's performance reflected a dip in the Reds' form, with Arsenal ultimately emerged victorious in a crucial matchup.
Van Dijk promised his side would bounce back after a terrible game. He added: 'Obviously, moments like this are going to be difficult times for players who play for every team in the Premier League. In the FA Cup we were under a lot of pressure but we found a way to win. This defeat is painful for us, and our performance today was not good enough in many ways. It's frustrating for me and our poor performance will be very sad for the Reds fans who came to cheer us on away, but we'll try to get back into shape. ”