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Arne Slot has spoken about Virgil van Dijk and his performance at Craven Cottage performance versus Fulham.

When things go wrong at the back, it doesn’t take long before fingers start pointing.

That’s the reality at a club like Liverpool.

Fans have high expectations.

So do pundits.

When the team loses, especially in a sloppy fashion, defenders often get the most heat.

Even world-class players aren’t spared.

Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at Fulham wasn’t just about the scoreline.

It was about how they lost.

The defending was poor.

Key players looked tired.

And questions quickly turned to Virgil van Dijk.

The Liverpool captain was caught flat in the buildup to Rodrigo Muniz’s goal?

Naturally, critics started talking.

But Arne Slot wasn’t having it.

Arne Slot on Virgil van Dijk performance vs Fulham

The Liverpool boss made it clear after the match that Van Dijk doesn’t deserve to be singled out.

“I mainly give credit to other players as well,” Slot said to Sky Sports.

“Van Dijk is not the first player to find it difficult to defend against Beto.”

The Dutch manager was referencing the physical threat Liverpool faced when the Reds played Everton.

Slot also acknowledged that Fulham deserved praise for their performance.

“And the one that played here today, you have to give credit to him also,” he said.

That was a nod to Rodrigo Muniz, whose touch and finish past Caoimhín Kelleher gave Fulham a two-goal cushion.

Still, Slot had more to say about his captain.

He made it clear that Van Dijk continues to lead the defence well.

“I still see a lot of things that Virgil does really well,” he added.

But he also gave an honest reminder “If you play 50-60 games a season, there will be moments, even for him, where you could have done better.”

It was a fair and balanced response from Slot.

He knows Van Dijk wasn’t at his best – but he also knows that one moment doesn’t change what the defender means to Liverpool.

Read more: How soon can Liverpool clinch the Premier League title after Fulham setback?

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