Wirtz disputes Van Dijk's criticism of Liverpool's 'surrender' against Manchester City

Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz has expressed disagreement with captain Virgil van Dijk's assertion that the team gave up during their FA Cup defeat to Manchester City. Following the 4-0 loss, Van Dijk stated that coming back from 3-0 down was difficult, but added that the team should not have given up. However, Wirtz believes that the team continued to create scoring opportunities and did not surrender. Liverpool manager Arne Slot also disputed Van Dijk's comments, saying he did not see players giving up during the game. The discussion came ahead of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain, a daunting task for the team. Wirtz emphasized the importance of the team believing in their manager, despite recent setbacks, and expressed confidence in their ability to perform well in big games. He acknowledged that anything less than their best effort would result in a difficult evening, and stressed the need for 90 minutes of full energy and commitment from the team.