Van Dijk hoping Reds have learnt their lesson

Virgil Van Dijk says Liverpool learned a lot from last season’s title race and insists the Reds have no regrets about the way they lost it. Despite holding, albeit for just 24 hours, a 10-point lead last December and taking 31 points from a possible 33 in their final 11 matches of the campaign, the Reds lost out on a first championship since 1990 by one point after Manchester City rattled off 14 successive victories during the run-in.
Liverpool now have a nine-point advantage over City after beating them 3-1 on Sunday, and although everyone in the Reds camp are keeping calm, many pundits have suggested the title race is over.
City have dropped to fourth, while Leicester and Chelsea, who are second and third respectively, are eight points adrift of the Reds.
Van Dijk refuses to countenance talk of coasting to the title as there is still a long way to go and the Reds do have a jam packed fixture schedule to deal with.
However, the influential defender believes the memories of last season can help bring a better outcome for Jurgen Klopp’s men. “We took a lot of experience last year. Good things, but also some things we should have done better,” he said. “We did everything possible. We shouldn’t have any regrets from last year.”
Van Dijk is aware of the hectic schedule and is also keeping his fingers crossed regards key players staying fit.
The Dutchman added: “We have so many difficult periods of games with so many competitions, travelling and hopefully no injuries, no illness, so anything can happen.”
Liverpool have opened up an eight-point gap at the summit after taking 34 points from the first 36 available.
Only two other sides – Manchester United in 1993 and City in 2017 – have held similar Premier League advantages at this stage and both went on to win the title.
But with Leicester and Chelsea separating the two title favourites in the table the race now become a four horse race, but Van Dijk is not looking at other teams.