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“Miscommunication”- Virgil van Dijk points to Liverpool communication breakdown in Brighton draw

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By Debopriyo Mondal

Virgil van Dijk speaks out as Liverpool drop points at Brighton & Hove Albion

Liverpool star defender Virgil van Dijk cited a miscommunication that led to Brighton equalising in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at the Amex Stadium. The Reds let a second-half lead slip when Lewis Dunk tapped in a volley from a 78th-minute set piece.

In a post-match conference covered by Liverpool’s official website, Van Dijk said that he believes the goal resulted from left-back Andrew Robertson and goalkeeper Alisson Becker misunderstanding each other before Brighton’s free kick. The mix-up proved costly as Dunk capitalised to earn the Seagulls a share of the points.

“Miscommunication. I think Robbo heard a shout and he thought it was Alisson, it’s a miscommunication and shouldn’t happen. But nobody wants to make mistakes,”

Virgil van Dijk speaks out as Liverpool drop points at Brighton & Hove Albion .
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk believes “Miscommunication” led to Brighton’s late equaliser. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

While disappointed with the lapse, Virgil van Dijk remains encouraged by Liverpool’s general form of late. With the international break coming up, the onus is on the manager and the players to figure out what needs to be rectified and work on the necessary solutions before football resumes in a fortnight.

“Unfortunately this was a miscommunication that cost us a goal. But overall I’m still proud of my team and there’s a lot of good things that we have been showing over the last couple of weeks. Now the international break is coming up and we have to get healthy through that, hopefully everyone is successful and then back for a very interesting couple of games.”

Virgil van Dijk speaks out as Liverpool drop points at Brighton & Hove Albion .
Andrew Robertson of Liverpool had a mare against Brighton. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

After the international break, Liverpool will face a daunting run of fixtures. Van Dijk hopes the rest period allows players to regain fitness and focus for the packed schedule ahead.

We cannot afford to fall any further behind after what has been a strong start to the season. While we should have put the game to bed at The Amex, a point is not something many teams will come away with from the venue.

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Liverpool currently sit in the fourth position in the league table having secured 17 points from eight games. Coming off the loss at Tottenham and the huge VAR controversy, securing a win at Brighton would have been a real confidence booster for Jurgen Klopp‘s side.

Sunday’s draw underlined that Liverpool must improve communication and limit individual errors. Van Dijk knows avoiding lapses like the one that enabled Dunk’s goal will be critical moving forward.