No need for Liverpool panic after Wembley loss, says Van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool “shouldn’t panic” after their Community Shield loss, especially after they bounced back from defeat in last year’s season curtain-raiser to romp to the Premier League title.

Arsenal emerged victorious at an empty Wembley on Saturday, winning 5-4 on penalties after Jurgen Klopp’s men had come from behind to draw 1-1 in normal time.

“During the whole game we played well, dominated, pressed them well and created many chances,” the Dutch defender told Liverpool’s website.

“Obviously in the end penalties is just a lottery and anything can happen.

“We are disappointed but we have to move on. Last year we lost on penalties as well (against Manchester City) and we won the league so we shouldn’t panic, but obviously we wanted to win today.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winning penalty at the end of a match that started with the Arsenal skipper scoring a superb early opener.

January acquisition Takumi Minamino came off the bench to level, with his first Liverpool goal capping a promising display by the Japan international.

Liverpool kick off their Premier League title defence at home to Championship winners Leeds on September 12, when Arsenal travel to promoted Fulham in the early kick-off.

Mikel Arteta’s men go into the campaign buoyed by August’s FA Cup and Community Shield wins, with Kieran Tierney excited by the way things are going.

“The spirit is one of the main things in the changing room, belief and spirit, and we’ve got that, we’re building on it,” he said.

“We’re just looking to continue and keep building this way.

“I think that comes from the manager and the staff. It’s continued from what we’ve done last season and building on it. “

He said the fans and the club deserved Champions League football.

“They deserve to be top four and we want to do as well as we can, as best as we can and put up a fight in every single game we come up against this year,” Tierney added.