Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk insists they cannot afford to get carried away with reaching the Carabao Cup final having learned painful lessons from last season.
A year ago the team were also still fighting on four fronts and Van Dijk scored the winner in the Wembley final to lift his first trophy as captain but it was not the springboard they hoped it would be in Jurgen Klopp’s final few months at the club.
An FA Cup exit at Manchester United in mid-March was followed by a damaging 3-0 home quarter-final defeat to Atalanta which ended their Europa League interest and after that their title challenge crumbled in April.
“We were in four competitions this time last year, no? Last year it didn’t help,” he said when asked whether winning the League Cup would be good for their other challenges.
“You try to win each and every game like so hopefully it will be different but you saw last year we couldn’t get the job done and the other two (Manchester City and Arsenal) were much better in the end.
“We have put ourselves in a good position, physically, mentally, points-wise, but we are in February and I’m definitely not thinking what could be there, either after March 16 or end of May.
“Winning is always a great feeling and you should not take any of that for granted.
“But with the games that we have what we should not at all get carried away.”
Head coach Arne Slot has reached the League Cup final in his first season, as predecessor Jurgen Klopp did in his, but with the team holding a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League and progress secured to the last 16 of the Champions League the Dutchman did not need a Wembley appearance to validate his methods.
However, Van Dijk believes it helps meet the high expectations which are placed on the club.
“I think it’s important for everyone because we work so hard each and every day in order to get success and obviously to participate in every competition to try and win it,” he added.
“That’s what we do as a club as from the outside world, from our friends and we as well, we are expected to do, compete until the very last day.
“We know how difficult it is but we are in a very good position. Obviously last year when we went into the final we had a lot of injuries so hopefully we can get everyone fit to play a part in trying to win a very difficult game that we have to play.”
