Virgil van Dijk warns Liverpool to avoid bad 'habit'
- Liverpool return to Anfield on Saturday with visit of Bournemouth
- Reds beaten at home by Nottingham Forest last weekend
- Virgil van Dijk eager to avoid defeat on Merseyside
By Sean Walsh
Virgil van Dijk is determined for Liverpool not to get into the 'habit' of losing games at home.
The Reds suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest after the September international break, ending Arne Slot's perfect start to life on Merseyside. This was followed by an impressive 3-1 comeback win at AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
Club captain Van Dijk has boasted a supreme Anfield record since his arrival midway through the 2017/18 season, and in his programme notes ahead of Saturday's visit of Bournemouth, he urged his teammates to return to ensure their home remains a fortress.
"We know that we fell way short of the required standard against Forest, and that hurts," Van Dijk said.
"We don't lose many games at Anfield, so it was inevitable that people were wondering how we would react as we headed to Milan. And apart from the first five minutes, I think we answered the questions."
He added: "We know that Bournemouth will provide a tough test for us. They are a team that always makes life difficult for their opponents, who are well organised and have good players, and we will need to be at our best if we are to get the three points.
"Like I said earlier, we don't lose many games at Anfield, and that is certainly not a habit we want to be starting now. We showed a good reaction over in Milan, and now we want to give our home supporters something to shout about after last weekend's disappointment."
Liverpool have never lost at home to Bournemouth in their history, while they have only been beaten twice by the Cherries in their 22 meetings to date.
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