Van Dijk delays Manchester City verdict until financial case is settled

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he will give his opinion on Manchester City’s financial-rule case once the situation has been “properly settled”.

Van Dijk was speaking after Liverpool suffered a 3-0 defeat by Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, in the club’s first match since it was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations.

The match remained goalless for an hour, but Manchester City took control after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring only three minutes after Gravenberch’s dismissal. Jeremy Doku then doubled the visitors’ advantage with an excellent curling finish before Rayan Cherki completed the victory in the 78th minute.

The result gave Manchester City a decisive win in their first game since being found guilty of “serious breaches” of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Asked about the case after Liverpool’s disappointing defeat, Van Dijk said: “The only thing I can say, because it is still ongoing, is that I have really enjoyed this competition.”

“But this happens on the pitch, while what happened off it is a completely different story. Because it is still ongoing, it is not appropriate for me to comment on it.”

He added: “When it has been fully resolved, I will definitely share my comments on it, but for now, let’s wait and see.”

Van Dijk said Liverpool had performed well during the opening 45 minutes, but felt Gravenberch’s red card changed the contest.

“I thought the first half was good from our side,” he said. “We showed our intensity, although at times we could have been better when we had opportunities to counter-attack.

“In the second half, the red card changed the game, especially after conceding a quick goal. We ended up with 10 players, and that is the reality. We conceded soon afterwards, which made the game against them very difficult again.”

The Netherlands defender also reflected on the atmosphere at Anfield and his own experience of playing in major fixtures there.

“I think the atmosphere here is always good. I have been fortunate to play in many big games here,” he said.

“It may have been different for some of the other players, but I was ready for the competition and I think we showed that, particularly in the first half.”