Virgil van Dijk is leading Liverpool’s charge towards the title but is fully aware that we’re not going to have it easy against two tough competitors.

Speaking with TNT Sports, our captain was asked about whether he watches the other teams and stated: “I don’t really watch it that much. Obviously a very good friend of mine in Nathan Ake plays for City so obviously we see each other, you know, now and then.

“But, in the end of the day, and that’s what I’ve learned over the years, you know, you have to just focus on yourself.”

READ MORE: (Image) Alisson posts injury update to Liverpool fans; comeback is looming

It’s probably the best way anyone can deal with the title race; concentrate on the Reds, expect the others to win and think that we must also be victorious in our remaining matches.

Let’s hope it’s a script that works in our favour and we don’t have to rely on favours elsewhere to be successful.

You can view Van Dijk’s comments (from 2:28) via TNT Sports on YouTube:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

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Nathan Ake had admitted ‘it’s a difficult task’ to play against one Liverpool ace in particular following the 1-1 draw between the Reds and Manchester City yesterday.

The Netherlands international registered an assist as Erling Haaland put the Sky Blues ahead in the first half but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb strike 10 minutes from time cancelled out the Norwegian’s effort.

A share of the spoils for both sides was probably a fair result and after the game former Bournemouth man singled out Mo Salah for praise.

“It’s tough, it’s always tough,” the Netherlands international told Premier League Productions (via HITC). “We have had some great battles over the years and it’s always a good challenge, today was no different.

“It’s difficult because, especially we have the ball, he tried to get on the ball. He tried to get on the ball and play.

READ MORE: Eidur Gudjohnsen says ‘world-class’ Liverpool man ‘could do with a rest’ after Man City showing

“But, at the back of your mind, you have to know that he is ready to counter. When we lose the ball, he is straight away on the run. It’s so difficult. You have to be concentrated for 90 minutes.

“Then when he gets the ball and runs at you with pace, it’s difficult because he can change direction so quickly. It’s a difficult task.”

Our No. 11 didn’t have the greatest of games but he’s a constant threat down the flank and in behind with his superb movement and pace.

He did provide the assist for our leveller but it was nothing more than a lay off and Alexander-Arnold did the rest as he beat Ederson from 20-yards out.

Defenders are never too far away from the Egyptian King as they’re aware of how much of a threat he poses and it’s interesting to hear Ake speak so honestly about the ex-Roma man.

The 31-year-old forward, who Jurgen Klopp has previously labelled as a ‘role model’ (as quoted by Liverpoolfc.com), now has 12 goals and five assists this term (across all competitions) – decent numbers for November.

10 games in 33 days: Liverpool’s title credentials set to be put to the test during relentless round-off to 2023

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Liverpool fans will not be surprised by the news that a trio of Manchester City players have returned to training ahead of Saturday’s clash at the Etihad.

The Premier League’s top-two face-off at lunchtime tomorrow in what is set to be a thrilling encounter.

Jurgen Klopp was yesterday boosted by the involvement of Ibou Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones in training yesterday while Pep Guardiola was sweating on the fitness of a number of his key players who missed games or were not involved at all for their national sides during the recent international break.

READ MORE: ‘It’s not Klopp’s plan’ – Falk explains why Jurgen Klopp is relucant to sign new Liverpool deal

Erling Haaland missed Norway’s 3-3 draw with Scotland on Sunday with a knock to his ankle while Ederson and Nathan Ake remained in Manchester to continue receiving treatment for their respective injuries.

An update from Sky Sports News, however, has confirmed all three of those players participated in a training session for the Sky Blues ahead of tomorrow’s clash in news which won’t come as much of a surprise to Liverpool fans.

Guardiola clearly felt the need to prevent his players from representing their respective countries during the international break, but let’s hope we can earn a huge three points to go top of the table!

Check Sky Sports’ update below via their page on X:

Erling Haaland and Ederson took part in Manchester City training on Thursday evening ahead of their Premier League game against Liverpool on Saturday pic.twitter.com/M6dzBbSvgq

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 24, 2023

10 games in 33 days: Liverpool’s title credentials set to be put to the test during relentless round-off to 2023

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Pep Guardiola is sweating on the fitness of two Manchester City players ahead of their top-of-the-table Premier League clash against Liverpool after the international break.

The defending champions have injury concerns over John Stones and Nathan Ake in the lead-up to the Reds’ visit to the Etihad Stadium on 25 November, with both players potentially facing a race against time to be available for the hotly-anticipated showdown.

Speaking on Saturday in relation to the England international [via Liverpool World], Guardiola said: “He is injured. He is not ready for tomorrow and we will see after international break. I don’t know (whether he will be ready) for Liverpool. 

“The doctor says it’s not as bad (as first thought), but still I don’t know. When he is going to be fit again, he will be back.”

On Sunday, the Dutch FA confirmed that Ake has been forced to withdraw from their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers due to injury, and with the second of those games taking place just four days before Man City’s next match, the 28-year-old may be a doubt to face the Reds.

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With neither Stones nor Ake to call upon at the weekend, City were unusually brittle at the back as they shipped four goals to 10th-placed Chelsea in an all-time Premier League classic at Stamford Bridge.

Both players are pivotal to Guardiola’s preference for playing out from defence, with the Englishman (who’s also featured as a number 6) boasting the best passing success rate of any current player at the Etihad this season with an exceptional 97.5%, and the Dutchman sixth with 92.3% (WhoScored).

The 52-year-old will duly be desperate to have them back against a Liverpool team boasting arguably the league’s best player in Mo Salah, the wonderfully clinical Diogo Jota and an unpredictable whirlwind of a centre-forward in Darwin Nunez.

Of course, even without Stones and Ake, City still boast plenty of centre-back quality in Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol.

We never wish to see players from any team getting injured, but it’s certainly fair to say that Liverpool’s prospects of winning at the Etihad would increase if the home side were still missing two of their key defenders for the 25 November showdown.

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Neil Jones has suggested that Liverpool would love to bring in players who could emulate what Pep Guardiola has done with two members of his Manchester City squad.

In his exclusive column with CaughtOffside, the reliable journalist addressed a series of transfer rumours and questions regarding potential incoming business at Anfield this summer, including possible changes to Jurgen Klopp’s defence.

The reporter outlined that the Reds would be yearning to sign defensive options who can cover multiple roles, just like two players in particular have done at the Etihad Stadium.

Jones wrote: “If you look at what Manchester City have done really successfully in the last few seasons, they’ve been able to get players in who can play two positions in the back line, so Nathan Ake can fill in at centre-back or left-back, Manuel Akanji has played all across the back line, and I think Liverpool would love to get someone in who can do that.”

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Versatility in a player is a trait any manager would cherish, and Klopp has had that with some current and previous members of his Liverpool squads.

Joe Gomez has shown that he can play anywhere across the backline, while James Milner often filled in on either flank of the defence during his time at the club before departing for Brighton recently.

However, aside from the 26-year-old, none of the Reds’ other defenders could seamlessly slot into positions other than those with which they’re most familiar, which could pose a dilemma if several players at the back are unavailable at the same time.

We saw during the 2020/21 season how a defensive injury crisis forced Klopp to utilise midfield duo Jordan Henderson and Fabinho as centre-backs, a situation no Liverpool fan would want to see repeated. That’s not a criticism of those two, but rather an indictment of how thin the squad had become at the time.

The two examples cited by Jones are quite pertinent, with Ake regularly moving over to left-back in recent months and Akanji also able to be deployed on either flank in addition to his customary centre-back role.

Benjamin Pavard and Micky van de Ven are among the defenders to have been linked with Liverpool lately, and both the Frenchman and the Dutch youngster have shown the flexibility to fill multiple defensive positions if needed.

Unfortunately, Jones downplayed the former as a realistic signing this summer, although he talked up the latter as ‘a name to look out for’ (CaughtOffside), so perhaps the Wolfsburg man could offer Klopp that much-desired versatility at the back in the same mould as the aforementioned Man City duo.

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Liverpool supporters would likely have been backing Inter Milan to clinch the Champions League trophy, instead we saw Manchester City win the treble but Virgil van Dijk was quick to show his class.

Currently in a post-season international camp with the Netherlands, the captain of his nation has a very senior role within the dressing room and when one of his teammates wins a major trophy – he should be there to congratulate them.

Taking to his Instagram stories, our No.4 shared a post from his national side that congratulated Nathan Ake for winning the European Cup and that was certainly a gesture that our No.4 didn’t need to offer.

READ MORE: Curtis Jones sends brilliant message to Salah after topless picture is shared online

For many of Pep Guardiola’s side, it was the first time that they had won the trophy we’ve managed to clinch on six occasions and reached the final of in three of the last six years.

The trophy haul of those in the Etihad Stadium is certainly impressive but will always be hugely tainted because of the financial breaches that the Abu Dhabi-owned club has looming over them.

Despite all this though, our centre-back has shown a level of class, as he congratulated an international teammate and an off-field friend after a huge moment in his career.

You can view the shared post via Van Dijk’s Instagram account:

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Nathan Ake has claimed he and his Netherlands teammates ‘cannot imagine or wish for a better captain’ for the national side despite the recent criticism that Virgil van Dijk has received.

Dutch legends Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit have questioned the Liverpool defender’s performances this season with the 31-year-old, alongside many other of Jurgen Klopp’s squad, struggling to reach the levels of previous campaigns.

Manchester City Ake has now came out and defender his international teammate, however, emphasising how important the ex-Southampton man is to the squad both on and off the pitch.

“Virgil is a leader for the Oranje and for Liverpool, what he has achieved is not nothing,” Ake told De Telegraaf (via Inside Futbol).

“He really is a very big personality.

READ MORE: Alternative Premier League table shows how Liverpool’s season could’ve been even worse

“Apparently, people don’t see Virgil’s importance to us on and off the pitch.

“We cannot imagine or wish for a better captain.”

Van Dijk expressed his annoyance at the recent criticism earlier this week and explained that his performances since joining Liverpool in 2018 have been ‘consistent’ rather than ‘perfect’.

The former Celtic man has become recognised as the best defender in the world since his £75m move to Merseyside but after suffering a serious knee injury back in 2020 and also sustaining a hamstring injury at the start of the year, he hasn’t quite been himself.

Former Anfield favourite Steve Nicol, however, was keen to stress recently that even when the towering centre half isn’t at his best he’s still better than most other players in his position.

We will need the central defender and the rest of his teammates at their very best on Saturday when we face Manchester City at the Etihad.

The Dutchman’s task against Pep Guardiola’s side may be made slightly easier by the fact Erling Haaland appears to be a doubt for the game after not being pictured in training with his City teammates, but he will still be coming up against the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez and Jack Grealish amongst others.

The Norwegian, who has scored 42 goals and registered five assists in 37 appearances this term (across all competitions), is nursing a groin injury and missed his nation’s two games against Georgia and Spain recently.

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Virgil van Dijk has claimed he’s ready for a ‘battle and war on the pitch’ against Manchester City on Saturday as Liverpool prepare for what the Netherlands captain has called ‘an interesting week’.

Following the Reds’ trip to the Etihad this weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s men then take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night before welcoming league leaders Arsenal to Anfield the following Sunday.

Our No. 4 is focussing on each game at a time, however, and has been looking ahead to coming up against his international teammate and good friend Nathan Ake.

“I am very close with Nathan, also in everyday life,” van Dijk said (as quoted by MEN). “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.

READ MORE: Pundit claims ‘the pressure is on Man City’ in ‘nightmare’ Liverpool clash

“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 Mohamed 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.”

Van Dijk started alongside Ake recently as the Netherlands were humiliated 4-0 at the Stade de France before again featuring alongside the City defender as Ronald Koeman’s side defeated Gibraltar 3-0 a few days later.

Some have suggested that the former Southampton defender hasn’t quite been at his best this season but the 31-year-old is eager to help his side in their pursuit of a top four finish.

“I am going to recover in the next few days and then the focus will be on City,” added van Dijk. “We are now in two very different situations.

“Manchester City are fighting for the title and we hope to force Champions League football. With games against City, Chelsea and Arsenal, it will be an interesting week for us.”

Let’s hope for a huge performance at the Etihad on Saturday.

Klopp’s side will be boosted by the potential return of Luis Diaz to the match day squad while the Sky Blues will be without Phil Foden who underwent surgery to remove his appendix recently and Erling Haaland faces a race against time to be fit for the clash as he continues to recover from a groin injury.

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Nathan Ake has admitted that Liverpool star Bobby Firmino is the best player that he’s ever played against while also reserving praise for Mo Salah.

The Brazilian, who will leave Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the season, has become recognised as one of the best false nines in world football ever since joining the Reds from Hoffenheim back in 2015.

The Manchester City man believes that our No. 9’s ability to ‘do everything’ is something that sets him apart from the other top players he’s played against during his career.

“Firmino was always a tough one because he could do everything – cuts in, drops deep, very good with the ball,” the former Bournemouth star told HYPEBEAST (via Rousing The Kop). “Lately, as I’ve been playing at left back, players like Saka & Salah are very difficult as well.”

READ MORE: ‘On a different planet’ – Ibou Konate laughs off comparisons between his international teammate and Virgil van Dijk

Despite Liverpool being a major rival to Manchester City, it’s nice to see the Dutchman speaking so honestly.

Firmino is a player that you’d love to have on your team because he looks like a real nightmare to play against and his selflessness is one of the main reasons why he’s such a huge favourite amongst Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

His reading of the game is second to none and he can be seen so often dropping deep and occupying what’s almost a number ten position so that those around him can thrive in the space he creates.

It’s going to be very strange to see him no longer a part of the squad next season but wish him all the very best for the future – wherever that may be!

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Liverpool and Manchester City went head-to-head once again but for the first time in the past four attempts, Pep Guardiola’s side claimed victory – it certainly wasn’t through a lack of trying from the Reds though and Mo Salah in particular.

The Egyptian King started the game brightly and one moment inside the first 20 minutes of the match resulted in Nathan Ake being floored by a superb piece of skill.

READ MORE: (Video) “Got no legs and can’t get the ball back” – Agbonlahor slams £39m Liverpool midfielder

It was a simple drop of the shoulder from our No.11 but the Dutch defender couldn’t handle it, confused by the movement of the 30-year-old the former Bournemouth man couldn’t rearrange his feet and ended up embarrassingly on the floor.

It wasn’t the result we wanted from the Etihad Stadium but let’s hope we can head into our Premier League return with more match fitness and sharpness, ready to defeat Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

You can watch the video of Salah’s skill courtesy of beIN Sports (via @a5medv on Twitter):

Salah with Ake.pic.twitter.com/9rTnQP1C8a

— A5medöv | (@a5medv) December 22, 2022

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The post (Video) Salah floors Nathan Ake with embarrassingly brilliant piece of skill appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool may feel aggrieved that they weren’t awarded a penalty at the Etihad tonight following a challenge from Nathan Ake on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Reds No. 15 was introduced at half time and looked sharp through the second half, including his work in the build up to Mo Salah’s strike, and he certainly felt he was fouled by the Dutchman.

There wasn’t a huge amount of contact, but we’ve seen them given in the past.

As the former Arsenal man received the ball from Mo Salah in the area, he performed a neat nutmeg on Ake before the defender appeared to grab a hold of him which downed the midfielder.

Check the video of the incident below, courtesy of beIN Sports via @hugolris on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hugolris/status/1606038800546799624?s=20&t=1P7N5qOBSBnS6VVuabZ2Hg

The post (Video) Cootes may have cost LFC dearly as Oxlade-Chamberlain denied penalty after being downed in Man City box appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Look away now Joel Matip as Virgil van Dijk has been sharing the love with his international teammates – akin to the way he behaves with our No.32.

Captured during training with the Dutch national side, the captain of his nation was recorded hugging, laughing and enjoying some light-hearted banter with the likes of Nathan Ake and Memphis Depay.

READ MORE: Kostas Tsimikas is ‘really looking forward’ to hearing his chant sung by ‘the fans inside Anfield!’

There’s obviously no harm in the 31-year-old having close friends with both club and country and it shows how much of a well-loved teammate he is too.

He’s not only there because he’s a good laugh; thankfully our centre-half is one of the best defenders in world football and will be hoping to prove this in Qatar.

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You can watch the video of van Dijk and his teammates via @OnsOranje on Twitter:

This bromance #NationsLeague #POLNED pic.twitter.com/g1yHSR9pMX

— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) September 20, 2022

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The post (Video) Virgil van Dijk replicates Joel Matip levels of affection with Holland teammates appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Nathan Ake was celebrating his wedding and amongst the guest list were two former Liverpool players.

As one of the guests in attendance, Dominic Solanke, played with the Dutchman during his Chelsea youth days and he uploaded a host of images to his Instagram page – alongside the caption: ‘Bros wedding weekend. Good vibes with good people. Congrats again Mr & Mrs Ake’.

In one of the images another former Red could be seen enjoying the celebrations and that was fellow Holland international Gini Wijnaldum.

READ MORE: (Image) Mo Salah uploads an image of himself playing tennis as the countdown to Liverpool’s pre-season begins

The pair posed alongside each other, whilst wearing sunglasses, and looked to be having a great time at the wedding together.

Both players represented Jurgen Klopp’s side during the 2017/18 season when we reached the Champions League final in Kyv.

Now that the duo have departed, it’s always good to see former players share a bond because of their time at Anfield and that it still evokes happy memories for them both.

You can view the image of Solanke and Wijnaldum via Instagram:

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The post (Image) Two former Liverpool players reunite at Manchester City star’s wedding appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

It’s easy to forget that players involved in such fierce rivalries can also be friends off the pitch, such as Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake.

The competition between Liverpool and Manchester City is as intense a top-two battle as there’s ever been, maybe not in terms of physicality but certainly on a pure footballing level.

Following the game at the Etihad Stadium we saw our No.4 chatting with both Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne, on two separate occasions, such is the relationship between them too.

READ MORE: (Video) Watch the compilation of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita’s impeccable Wembley performance

With the two Dutchmen playing together for the national team and also in the same position, it’s fair to assume that the captain of Holland is somewhat of a mentor for the 27-year-old.

After all the blood and thunder that came with the dramatic 3-2 victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side, it’s nice to see the defensive duo having a moment to sit and chat about what had just occured.

Perhaps traditionalists won’t like it but this shows the tremendous amount of respect between the two sets of players.

You can watch the clip of van Dijk and Ake (at 14:28) via Liverpool’s YouTube channel:

#Ep43 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Should Salah be dropped v Man City? Keita contract… and more!

The post (Video) Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake share a private word after Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City at Wembley appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Manchester City yesterday completed a £40m deal for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake, who will be the backup to Aymeric Laporte as the left-sided centre-back.

That kind of money used to be reserved for marquee signings, but the amount City splash on defenders, it’s about par for someone who’ll sit on their bench!

The Dutchman is a good player though and he’ll improve their already jaw-dropping squad.

Virgil van Dijk congratulated his Dutch team-mate on the move on Twitter, telling Ake he was happy for him following the switch.

Happy for you bro!

— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) August 5, 2020

Ake is a good defender, but nobody is in van Dijk’s league and we wouldn’t swap Ake for Joe Gomez or Joel Matip, either.

We do need another centre-back though since Dejan Lovren’s exit – and it’ll be interesting to see who Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards go for this summer.

Pre-season starts again in one week’s time – so ideally – someone will be wrapped up soon so they can integrate with the group.

Still, we have a feeling the club will be waiting until the end of the window when we have a better understanding of the financial implications that surround transfers given the coronavirus.

The post Van Dijk’s comments on £40m Nathan Ake transfer show his class appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.