We know how tough Crystal Palace can be — Liverpool captain Van Dijk

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has stressed the acknowledgment of Crystal Palace’s potential threat by his team.

However, the Dutch defender underscored the importance of finding strategies to secure victories even when circumstances are not in their favor.

The Reds will welcome Crystal Palace on Sunday, aiming to recover from their setback against Manchester United last weekend.

Van Dijk writes in today’s match programme notes: “It is now four months since we last met Crystal Palace in the Premier League, but I think the time that has passed since then has only underlined the importance of the result we got that day and also the qualities that we needed to show to earn it.

“I say this for no other reason than that in the days and weeks to come it’s unavoidable that we will need to show them again. In an ideal world, we will play fantastic football all the time – and this is our aim every time we step out onto the pitch – but in a league as competitive as this one, and with so many teams trying to achieve their own objectives, we have to be prepared to overcome adversity.

“That is exactly what we did at Selhurst Park back in December. The performance we produced was far from our best, to say the least, and I don’t think the first 70 minutes or so would live long in the memories of the Liverpool supporters who were there or at home watching on TV, but we found a way.

“We did that by sticking together, believing in ourselves, continuing to work, showing our commitment right up until the final whistle and in the end we got our rewards.”