Liverpool slumped to a sixth Premier League defeat of the season and Reds skipper Virgil van Dijk pulled no punches in his assessment of a title defence that is collapsing dramatically

Unacceptable. Tough to take. Panic. Angry. A mess. Losing battles. Basic things. Not the words of a pundit who sees only a crisis in a string of bad results, not the words of a supporter who thinks his elite side is not allowed to lose at home, no matter how accomplished the opponents’ performance.

No, the words of Liverpool ’s captain, the team’s leader, the players’ representative, the club’s figurehead on the field. In his initial televised response to the loss to Nottingham Forest , Virgil van Dijk was suitably critical of his side’s performance.

Later, he suggested a deeper malaise had set into t

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