Liverpool manager Arne Slot has criticized Michael Owen after captain Virgil van Dijk dismissed his question following Liverpool’s Merseyside derby victory over Everton on Wednesday.
Diogo Jota scored the only goal at Anfield, pushing Liverpool closer to the Premier League title. However, the focus shifted to Van Dijk’s reaction to Owen’s comments.
During an interview for Premier League Productions, the former England striker referenced Liverpool’s cup exits to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United, questioning whether those setbacks were disappointing after a season that seemed to be shaping into something special.
Van Dijk, confident in Liverpool’s progress, took issue with the question and responded, “So you’re suggesting the season is not going to be special anymore?” When Owen clarified, saying the defeats left a “bitter taste,” Van Dijk insisted, “It is still possible for this season to be very, very special.”
Slot echoed Van Dijk’s sentiments and, in his press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Fulham, labeled Owen’s question as “strong.”
He said, “Let me get this straight—Virgil was frustrated because it sounded like winning ‘only’ the Premier League isn’t enough? Michael (Owen) played for us, right? So he knows we’ve won the league just once in 35 years?
“There’s your answer. If you win the league with this club, then nothing else matters. If you do it ten times in a row, maybe people can say, ‘Oh, but it’s just the Premier League.’ But at this club, just competing for it—let alone winning it—is a huge achievement. So, in my opinion, it was a strange question. If Virgil feels the same way, I completely agree with him.”
Slot also highlighted the league’s growing competitiveness, stating that the Premier League is stronger than ever, with even relegation-threatened teams boasting players capable of playing for top sides like Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Liverpool currently sit atop the table with 73 points from 30 games, securing 22 wins and seven draws. Their only loss came early in the season against a resurgent Nottingham Forest, now sitting third under Nuno Espírito Santo.
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