Wirtz Disagrees with Van Dijk's Post-Match Criticism Following FA Cup Loss to Man City

Liverpool's Florian Wirtz has expressed disagreement with captain Virgil van Dijk's assertion that the team gave up during their 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City. Wirtz stated that despite the scoreline, the team continued to create scoring opportunities and did not concede defeat. Liverpool manager Arne Slot also countered Van Dijk's criticism, saying he did not see any players giving up during the match. The comments come ahead of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, a daunting task for the team. Van Dijk had said that coming back from a 3-0 deficit was difficult, but the team should not have given up. Wirtz argued that the team's mental state was affected by the scoreline, but they still attempted to turn the game around. Slot emphasized the importance of maintaining a high level of performance throughout the match, citing the team's collapse against Manchester City as an example of what can go wrong. Wirtz also expressed the team's belief in their manager, saying they are committed to performing well in the upcoming match. The team is aware that anything less than their best effort will result in a difficult evening against a strong Paris Saint-Germain side.