Van Dijk: "Should Have Been, Could Have Been—It Doesn't Work Like That"

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk reflected on a match he believes his side should have won—and likely would have without a difficult start.

While few would have expected at the start of season that Liverpool's trip to The City Ground to face Nottingham Forest in a mid-week January league kickoff would be a game with title implications, that's exactly what took place on Tuesday night.

The result, a 1-1 draw, ensured the Reds maintained their six-point edge on Forest, who themselves sit second pending Arsenal's derby match against Tottenham, and with a game in hand for Liverpool they remain title favourites—even if most went into Tuesday's game hoping for more than a draw that maintained the status quo.

"Should have been, could have been, it doesn't work like that," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk reflected after the match when asked about the result. "It's football. They worked their socks off as well and that's what they have been doing, so big credit to them.

"But looking at my own team, we should have done better finishing our opportunities. It should have been [a win], especially based on our second-half performance when I think we created many chances, especially against a team that don't concede many chances."

While Liverpool found their feet and their form for the second half ending the game with 71% possession and 23 shot attempts to Forest's six along with an xG advantage of 2.72 to 0.53, it was a poor first half showing that cost them the three points.

A well taken goal by Forest striker Chris Wood seven minutes in set the Reds back, and for much of the first period the upstart Tricky Trees went toe-to-toe with Van Dijk's Premier League leading Reds in what was a grinding affair until the break came and the Reds adjusted, returned to the pitch, and clicked into gear.

"In the first half we were 1-0 down and that's the disappointing part," Van Dijk added. "But we always made sure our defence was in order, and I think that we then tried everything we had. The only thing that was missing was the final finish to kill off the game."