Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said Sunday’s English Premier League clash against Chelsea at Anfield, will not be against the Chelsea that struggle to find their Rythm last season.
Under new coach Enzo Maresca Chelsea are title contenders and a win at Anfield will further boost their confidence. They finished 11th on the log last season under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues have won four of their six league games since the loss to Man City, scoring six goals in a remarkable game against Wolves and putting four past Brighton.
‘I have been impressed by Chelsea’s progress this season. I said a few weeks ago, after our win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, that they have gone under the radar a little bit within the media, but we will certainly not be underestimating them,” said van Dijk ahead of the game.
‘We all have our part to play in what will be a very tough game.
‘A lot has been made about the number of changes they have made as a club during the past couple of seasons, but one thing that is absolutely certain is that they have a squad which is full of very good footballers, players who can cause problems for any team.
‘They also have a manager who has a clear idea of how he wants his team to play, and who looks like he is starting to get the best out of the talent at his disposal.
‘That means, then, that we will need to be fully focused and prepared to fight from the first whistle for the points. We have had some good days and nights against Chelsea in recent years, but that counts for nothing this weekend.”
Liverpool had a relatively easy run of fixtures to start the 2024-25 campaign but face Arsenal, Brighton, Aston Villa and Manchester City over the next six weeks and take on Real Madrid in the Champions League.
