Virgil van Dijk after Liverpool’s defeat to Newcastle. (Image: Sky Sports.)
A disappointed made a point to go over to the huddle as they were celebrating their final victory, before grabbing Dan Burn and every single member of their squad to shake their hand. slumped in a difficult week that also saw them go out of the to , but Van Dijk still took the time to credit the opposition.
He and Burn shared a very warm embrace after Van Dijk interrupted the party, a strong show of mutual respect between the defenders as claimed their first trophy in over 70 years, before the Dutchman repeated the moment with every member of the opposing side.
were second-best at Wembley to a physically dominant , with outfit on top from the first whistle. Burn gave them a lead in the second half as he met a deep corner with a header, marking the perfect week for the 32-year-old after his maiden England call-up.
Minutes after Alexander Isak had a goal disallowed for offside, he found the back of the net again with a clinical finish that sparked mass hysteria in the end of Wembley.
Federico Chiesa got on the scoreboard in stoppage time despite a lengthy VAR delay to check the substitute was onside, but managed to get over the line and the celebrations could begin.
Newcastle’s huddle was interrupted. (Image: Sky Sports.)
Van Dijk may well be into his final year at and despite so much promise of success on multiple fronts, the Premier League now stands as the club’s only hope of silverware this season.
Second-placed are 12 points behind the Reds and lifting the title would undoubtedly see the campaign go down in history, though the past week will leave a sour note in Van Dijk’s mouth.
But he was able to put aside those feelings in order to give their dues on a momentous occasion for the Magpies, the mark of Van Dijk’s strong character as captain of .
Howe declared ‘s reaction to the result as “class” and commended them, having been in the same spot two years ago when went down to on the Wembley stage.