Florian Wirtz disagrees with Virgil van Dijk as forward insists Liverpool didn't 'give up' in Man City humbling

The fallout from Liverpool's dismantling in the FA Cup has sparked a rare public disagreement within the dressing room. Following the four-goal defeat, club captain Van Dijk delivered a scathing assessment, suggesting that his team-mates may have mentally checked out as the game slipped away. However, Wirtz has moved to clarify the players' perspective ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking to reporters in the French capital, Wirtz admitted he was unaware of the captain's specific comments but felt they didn't accurately reflect the team's attitude. "I didn't know about this that he [Van Dijk] said, but I think I would not agree directly because we still tried to create chances to turn the game around," the forward said at a press conference.

The tension stems from Van Dijk's honest post-match interview where he questioned the squad's resilience. The Dutch defender sparked headlines when the dejected skipper suggested that his team-mates may have actually stopped fighting during the second half. "You shouldn’t give up, and that’s maybe what happened at a certain point," the centre-back admitted after the match.

Wirtz, who joined the club in a £116 million ($154m) deal from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, countered this by highlighting the final stages of the match. "When it was 3-0 or 4-0, we had still a few chances, but it is not our standards that we lose 4-0 against City," he noted.

With their domestic cup hopes ended and the Premier League title defence long since over, the Champions League represents Liverpool's final opportunity to secure a trophy this season.

Wirtz believes that the team must find a new level of consistency to overcome the reigning European champions, PSG, across two legs. He emphasised that anything less than a perfect 90-minute performance in Paris would leave them with "no chance."

"We believe in ourselves, we have a good group with good characters and great players, also a good manager who tries to prepare us good for the game," Wirtz added.

He also suggested that having the second leg at Anfield could prove to be a decisive advantage for the Reds.

Manager Arne Slot finds himself under increasing scrutiny as the club’s form continues to fluctuate. Despite the inconsistent results, the coach remains optimistic that the historic weight of the club can inspire a turnaround.

Slot referenced Liverpool's long-standing reputation for mounting unlikely comebacks in European competition, stating that the "answer lies in the history of Liverpool."

In a fitness boost for the under-fire manager, forward Alexander Isak is set to return to the matchday squad as a substitute after a four-month absence with a broken leg. Slot will be hoping the Swede's return can spark a clinical edge that was missing at the Etihad.