ReactionVirgil van Dijk: We'll improve on what we have to do better

A hard-fought Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge ended level after Luis Diaz’s 18th-minute strike was equalised before the break by Axel Disasi.

Both sides also had an effort ruled out for offside in the first half, and the second period passed without any further amends to the scoresheet.

Van Dijk, who captained the Reds for the first time in a competitive encounter, felt it was a game that ultimately could have gone either way.

And the No.4 pledged Liverpool will be hard at work to step up their performance ahead of Saturday’s Anfield meeting with AFC Bournemouth.

“Lively,” he said of the draw with Chelsea post-match. “Obviously start of the season, both sides had a very disappointing year last year and obviously we want to make things right.

“I think we showed a very good, I would say, 20 to 25 minutes – with and without the ball very dominant and obviously scored a good goal.

“I think after the disallowed goal they got a bit of momentum, scored the equaliser of course and then it’s time to find your rhythm again.

“At half-time we spoke about it, we saw clips and I think in the second half we did also much better. Obviously with the speed they have on the counter-attack with the guys that can play the balls in behind then they could get dangerous, and they did that of course. We defended quite well still, in my opinion, because it’s not easy, we don’t have to forget that.

“Overall I think it was a very good game that could have gone both ways and we take the point. Now it’s time to focus on Bournemouth in our case and improve what we have to do better, especially after today.”

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