Wirtz Disagrees with Van Dijk's Criticism Following Manchester City Defeat

Liverpool's Florian Wirtz has expressed disagreement with captain Virgil van Dijk's assertion that the team gave up during their FA Cup loss to Manchester City. Wirtz believes the team continued to try and create scoring opportunities, despite being down 3-0. Manager Arne Slot also questioned Van Dijk's criticism, stating that he did not see players giving up during the 4-0 defeat. The comments come ahead of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain, where the team will face another challenging opponent. Van Dijk had stated that coming back from a 3-0 deficit is difficult, but that giving up should not be an option. Wirtz acknowledged the mental difficulty of continuing to push when facing a significant deficit, but emphasized the team's efforts to give their best throughout the game. Slot noted that conceding goals at critical moments can be devastating, and that the team must learn to respond better to setbacks. The manager also expressed hope that the team can show a strong reaction to the loss in their upcoming match. Wirtz expressed confidence in the team's ability to perform well in big games, particularly in the Champions League, and emphasized the importance of believing in themselves and their manager. However, he also acknowledged that anything less than their best effort would result in a difficult evening against PSG.