Virgil van Dijk: Anything is possible in Liverpool season finale
Man City's trip to Brighton is live on Sky Sports Main Event from 2.30pm, while Liverpool vs Wolves at Anfield is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 2pm on Sunday, May 12. Kick-off for both games is at 3pm
Saturday 11 May 2019 22:25, UK
Virgil van Dijk has refused to give up hope of crowning Liverpool's "fantastic" season with the Premier League title at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool head into their final-day clash with Wolves - live on Sky Sports Premier League - with the destiny of the title in Manchester City's hands.
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Victory at Brighton will see the champions retain their crown, but, at the end of the week which saw Liverpool reach the Champions League final with an historic semi-final victory over Barcelona, Van Dijk has warned anything is possible.
"It is on, but you have to be realistic," the Dutchman exclusively told Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison. "The way City have been playing all season everyone should expect them to win.
"But you never know and the only thing we can do is focus on beating Wolves, because that is a very big task as well.
"Everyone is talking about Brighton doing something, but we need to focus on what is in front of us because Wolves have been outstanding this season and make it difficult for any team. That's why they are where they are in the table.
"But we're at home, it's our last game of the season and we want to give everything we've got, and we will. If we win we've done our job, we will have done what we could do and then we will see what will happen at Brighton.
"We've been showing throughout the whole season in moments that we never give up and keep going. We keep believing, doing the right things.
"Sometimes you have that bit of luck, but you've got to keep doing the right things. This week was an outstanding week for us in the Champions League and we will see how Sunday will unfold."
Van Dijk sets sight on century
Victory over Wolves on Sunday would see Liverpool end the season with 97 points - the third-highest points tally in Premier League history - yet that may not be enough to loosen City's grip on the title.
Van Dijk insists that, while disappointing, Liverpool must reflect of this season with pride and has challenged his team-mates to repeat their relentless title pursuit next year.
"You will feel a little bit disappointed because everyone that close wants to win the league," the 27-year-old added.
"That's the standard that City sets for all of us in the league. They've been outstanding and amazing to do it again almost for a second season. It's unbelievable.
"But we've got to keep our heads up, we have a big final coming up, but even then, if you look at our results in the league and how we've played all season, we can be very proud of ourselves.
"This is just the start for all of us, I came in last winter and I feel we've made so much progress since then, the club have made many big steps.
"We have to take a lot of good things from this season into next and do it again or even better. Then we will see what the rest are going to do. The most important thing is to keep doing it every year.
"If we have to do it next season with over 100 points we will try and do it. But we are still in it [this year] and we have to believe, but we have to be realistic as well. It's not in our hands and the only thing we can do is beat Wolves."
Van Dijk's dribbling dominance
Van Dijk has been at the heart of a Liverpool defensive unit which has conceded the joint-fewest goals - 22, alongside Manchester City - on route to their best-ever Premier League season, regardless of Sunday's results.
The impenetrable Dutchman has not been dribbled past in the league since way back in March 2018, when Newcastle midfielder Mikel Merino skipped away from him a 2-0 defeat at Anfield.
Van Dijk memorably prevented Moussa Sissoko and Heung-min Son from scoring in Liverpool's win over Tottenham in March of this year, marshalling a two-versus-one situation before the Spurs midfielder blazed over. But what are the secrets of Van Dijk's defensive dominance?
"People have said that I've been running away [from attackers]," the centre-back joked. "It's something that I am not looking at, but I try not to let anyone past me, obviously.
"Maybe my kind of defending gives them an option, makes them make a decision and then I try to get the ball. It's been working pretty well this season, so people can say whatever they want.
"It's something I learned when I was young playing as an attacker on the streets, you don't like to be facing anyone that makes you have to make a decision.
"Strikers would love the opportunity to get past you, but if you don't you make it difficult they have to think. Hopefully I can keep improving on that, it doesn't work every time, but it's been working pretty well this season."
It could have been totally different but in the end, he didn’t hit it well, he could have scored. You have to be realistic, if Sissoko or Son got the ball, I think Son would finish it before Sissoko. It’s a bit of luck but you’ve got to make the right decision. It’s something defenders learn to deal with, two-versus-one, to give them the worst option.
Title race final day live on Sky Sports
The last act of The Run In will be shown live on Sky Sports on a defining final day of the Premier League season.
Manchester City's trip to Brighton is live on Sky Sports Main Event from 2.30pm, while Liverpool vs Wolves at Anfield is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 2pm on Sunday, May 12. Kick-off for both games is at 3pm.
