IT WAS put to Virgil van Dijk after the Merseyside derby win against Everton on Wednesday that Liverpool’s season might seem less special due to recent defeats in the Champions League and League Cup.

It is a narrative that has been doing the rounds lately, and one Van Dijk is right to want to change.

Ironically, if Liverpool had gone out of the League Cup early and had not been so dominant in the league phase of the Champions League, their season might be held in higher regard than it currently is in some quarters.

In some ways, they are being criticised for their own success. These high-profile defeats only happen to good teams who are able to progress in multiple competitions, and, as Van Dijk says, those cup defeats should not take away from a so far special league season.

“So you’re suggesting this season is not going to be special any more?” Van Dijk said, answering a question posed post-match by Michael Owen.

“I think we have to change that narrative a little bit.