What Virgil van Dijk said about Leeds United after Liverpool draw with Whites admission

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk served up Leeds United praise with a Whites admission after seeing his Reds held to a goalless draw in their first game of 2026 at Anfield on New Year’s Day.

Reds star van Dijk led out his team against Daniel Farke’s Whites for the second time in less than four weeks on Thursday evening, just 26 days after the 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture at Elland Road.

Liverpool twice looked destined to leave with all three points from the clash at LS11 in which they led 2-0 and 3-2 only for Leeds to fight back twice in a six-goal thriller.

Four weeks on, Thursday’s contest was an altogether tighter affair for which Whites boss Farke made four big changes to his side.

Speaking post match to Liverpoolfc.com, van Dijk served up praise for Leeds as he admitted they “obviously” defended well as he also admitted his men did not deserve to beat Farke’s Whites.

“Didn't create enough chances to deserve a win”

An honest van Dijk said: “I think we didn't create enough chances to deserve a win.

"Obviously Leeds defended well but I think we should have done better. I think we were not great in our last part of our game, and then obviously it's key to make sure that we don't concede and we did that well.

"But we want to do much better in the last part of our game – what we can do as well. It was one of those nights and we can't dwell on it too long.

"Obviously the intentions are clear, we want to do it, but unfortunately it didn't happen.

"I think you have to stay patient, even if you want to go at them in possession as quickly as possible, go at their last line as quickly as possible.

"But the spaces are not always there [and] you have to create these spaces, you have to play side to side, you keep them on one side and switch to the other side.

"You have to do all these things that we know we can do and we've shown, but unfortunately our last part of our game wasn't good enough."