Van Dijk discusses team momentum ahead of Brighton clash

Momentum is a big thing in football, and it is important that we maintain ours, Liverpool club captain Virgil van Dijk said ahead of the weekend fixtures. The Reds head into Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton carrying a three-match winning run across all competitions in which they have scored 12 goals and conceded seven.

Van Dijk Assesses Defensive Vulnerabilities and Resilient Response Against Villarreal

Liverpool’s momentum was severely tested on October 21, 2026, during a UEFA Champions League encounter at Anfield against Villarreal, where the hosts fell behind 2-0 early in the contest. VOI.ID reported that Villarreal opened the scoring four minutes into the match when Van Dijk’s attempted headed clearance fell directly to Georges Mikautadze, who fired past goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Sergi Cardona added a second for the visitors before Liverpool engineered a dramatic comeback to secure a 4-3 victory.

Van Dijk candidly addressed his own role in the shaky start, noting that the team deserved to find themselves behind. The first half hour in particular was not the best, and I definitely include myself in that, and we found ourselves behind—deservedly so, Van Dijk told Yahoo Sports. He added that the positive takeaway was the team’s mental resilience in turning the match around to keep their European campaign’s perfect record intact.

Brighton Clash Awaits Amid Contrasting Domestic Fortunes

The Reds now turn their attention to a Premier League fixture on Sunday against a Brighton side sitting third in the table under Fabian Hurzeler, following a thumping 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Source 2 noted that Opta gives Liverpool a 46.8 percent probability of winning the upcoming match, compared to 26.8 percent for Brighton and 26.4 percent for a draw, while Van Dijk emphasized that his squad must produce their absolute best performance to maintain their winning habit.