Virgil van Dijk has explained how Liverpool's players were surprised by how "easy and simple" it was to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier on this season.
The Reds ran riot at the home of their most fierce rivals and battered United 5-0 on their own patch in what was one of the lowest afternoons of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign and United's recent history. Jurgen Klopp's men were 4-0 up before the half-time whistle had blown, by which time plenty of the home faithful had already headed for the exit.
As the Premier League season approaches its final furlong, Liverpool are gearing up for another meeting with United - though a few things have changed since their last clash. Solskjaer has since been dismissed and replaced by Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis.
Unfortunately for those associated with United, Rangnick has failed to inspire much of a turnaround when it comes to form and finding results. The Red Devils are staring down the barrel of missing out on Champions League qualification and next up, a daunting trip to Anfield awaits them.
Van Dijk has been speaking ahead of the game on Tuesday evening and admitted that for games of this magnitude form can often go out of the window. "These types of games are games on their own," the defender told Sky Sports.
Liverpool will be all too aware that a win over United would send them top of the Premier League before Manchester City have the chance to respond at home to Brighton on Wednesday night. Van Dijk will be hoping United roll over as easily as they did last October.
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"The games that we played over there were always going to be tough but to come away with 5-0 quite easy and simple was not what we all expected before the game but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy it as much as we should. But that game is out of the way."
Quick to ensure he wasn't letting his guard down, Van Dijk explained how he isn't expecting a similarly poor United before discussing how the Red Devils are in a very different place now six months on from that defeat.
"They made changes after that game so they're in a different mental state at the moment. They're trying to get top four, build towards next season a little bit and we're trying to focus on ourselves and win the game and doing everything possible to do it. I think they'll be going for it like I would as well. I expect a very good game but a game I want to play."
