Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk questioned whether his team-mates “really want to win the league” after their 2-0 defeat to Everton on Wednesday night left their Premier League title hopes hanging in the balance.
Goals either side of half-time from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were enough to seal Everton’s first Merseyside derby win at Goodison Park since 2010.
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The defeat leaves Jurgen Klopp’s side second in table, three points behind league leaders Arsenal and a point clear of Manchester City, who play the first of their two games in hand against Brighton and Hove Albion on Thursday.
Van Dijk said Liverpool “have no chance to win the title” if they fail to show more effort in their four remaining fixtures in Jurgen Klopp’s farewell season.
“I’m very disappointed, in so many ways,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think everyone needs to take a look in the mirror and look at their own performance if they really gave everything and if they really want to win the league.
“Obviously, we are still fighting and we have games after tonight but if we played overall like we did today — not winning challenges — then we have no chance to win the title.”
Speaking to the written media after the game, Van Dijk added the performance was devoid of “fight”.
“Game likes these, the bare minimum is fight,” he said. “We were lacking that at so many moments in games; small challenges, some passes that were not clear so we came into challenges that they win and they get momentum out of it.
“Now it’s time to recover and pick ourselves up again because we have to do it for ourselves, the club and the fans. It’s not only that you go out there and play your game, you have to do much more than that.”
Asked to explain what was behind his side’s dramatic slump in form, Van Dijk said: “You can’t put a finger on it. It’s confidence, inexperience, challenges, maybe afraid to make mistakes in this part of the season.”
He added: “What I’ve said already (is) everyone has to look in the mirror. We can’t let the season end like this.
“I’ve been through many things in life and I will pick myself up and the team. That’s the responsibility I have.”
Klopp, meanwhile, admitted his side need now “a crisis” at Arsenal and Man City to stand any chance of staging an unlikely challenge for the title.
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Asked for his thoughts on the title race, Klopp said: “I understand it, but you can all read the table. Do I say now we are still fully in?
“We need a crisis at City and Arsenal and we need to win football games. If they start losing all their games and we do what we did tonight then nothing will change and we’re not safe in the Champions League (places) either.”
Liverpool are next in action against West Ham United on Saturday.
GO DEEPER
The Briefing: Everton 2 Liverpool 0 - Klopp's first-ever Goodison defeat all but ends title dream
(Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)