‘No complacency’ – Virgil van Dijk promises Liverpool fans will be ruthless in their FA Cup clash with Accrington Stanley
Liverpool will approach their FA Cup clash with Accrington Stanley “without complacency”, according to captain Virgil van Dijk.
After a 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the Premier League and a narrow 0-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, the Reds will be competing in their third competition in a week.
Despite the recent games, Van Dijk expressed his excitement about the start of the FA Cup season.
He also stressed the importance of the competition, stating in his notes on the official matchday program: “The FA Cup is a competition that means a lot to both the players and the fans.”
“I personally have great memories of it. We’ve won it before and we want to go as far as possible this season.
“In my opinion, one of the great strengths of English football is the quality of the teams further down the league pyramid.
#EmiratesFACup Memories of the third round 💭 pic.twitter.com/U2lP0cjWIk
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 10, 2025
“The Premier League attracts most of the attention but the level of football in the Championship and Leagues One and Two is also very good.
“You can see this in the FA Cup, a tournament known over the years for its giant-killing stories. Many top teams have beaten seemingly weaker teams and we need to be fully focused to ensure our name is not added to that list on Saturday.
“I can assure you all that this will be the case. The mentality of this team is very good and one of the main reasons why we started the season so well.
“We cannot and will not allow complacency to creep in now. Accrington Stanley deserves our full respect and that’s exactly what they get.
“We are all looking forward to the game and I am sure you are all looking forward too. It was great to see almost 6,000 of you at Tottenham and I know you will give us great support again as we take on another competition.”
