Van Dijk notes the return of 'Anfield energy' ahead of the Arsenal match

Wins restore the stands' faith

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes recent home matches have restored the fans' faith in the team after last season's lacklustre title defence. The Reds have won three home games in a row across three different competitions — against Villarreal, Brighton and Chelsea, whom they beat on penalties in the League Cup on Wednesday. Now on Sunday Liverpool will host the reigning Premier League champions Arsenal at Anfield in confident mood, AFP reports.

Iraola and the new tactics

The team, AFP notes, is growing increasingly comfortable with the tactics of new head coach Andoni Iraola, who in June replaced the dismissed Arne Slot — a specialist who previously worked at Bournemouth. 'Nights like tonight (against Chelsea) and that one (Villarreal) — I think the fans definitely like what they see, and of course you can feel that energy, and it's great,' AFP quotes van Dijk as saying. According to him, he had felt that energy for quite a long time, and when it was missing, its return feels especially good: 'Results help, a great deal.'

Rotation against Chelsea

For the Chelsea match Iraola made seven changes, fielding four players under the age of 22. The game ended 1:1, and Liverpool won the penalty shootout 6:5 to reach the quarter-finals, where they will meet Bournemouth again. 'I don't think we allowed much over the whole game; a couple of shots from distance, it seems. We played well. We brought a lot of energy,' added the 35-year-old defender, admitting that at certain moments the team could have played better, but overall he was pleased with the evening and with reaching the next round.