Programme notesVirgil van Dijk: Carabao Cup has given us many wonderful memories - we all want to go far
Virgil van Dijk hopes tonight's clash with Tottenham Hotspur is the start of another special journey in the Carabao Cup for Liverpool.
The Reds begin their campaign in the 2026-27 edition by hosting a Tottenham Hotspur squad, which now includes Andy Robertson, at Anfield in the third round.
It is a competition the club has won a record 10 times before in total, most recently in 2023-24 after Van Dijk headed in an extra-time winner in the Wembley final with Chelsea.
Writing in his column in the official matchday programme, the Liverpool captain says: "There is no doubt that we all left here disappointed after Saturday's game with Fulham, but tonight is a chance to put in a strong performance and get back to winning ways.
"The Carabao Cup will always be an important competition for this club, and it has given us many wonderful memories down the years.
"It was the first trophy I lifted as captain, in 2024, and I will never forget that day, that game, as long as I live. We all want to go as far as we can in the competition this season.
You have to accept cookies in order to view this content on our site.
Watch on YouTube"Like I say, Saturday was disappointing. We didn't reach the levels we wanted, and we were not happy with either the result or the performance.
"After a good win against Atletico Madrid a few days earlier, where we showed a lot of good qualities, we wanted to follow that up against Fulham, and not being able to do that left us all frustrated.
"We have to take the point and move on, though. We are still unbeaten this season, and that at least gives us a platform to build on, if we can start turning the draws into wins.
"At Liverpool, you are expected to perform every three days. That is what playing for this club is all about, and thankfully tonight we get the opportunity to get back out there and show our best side again.
"It will, of course, be an emotional game tonight with the return of Andy Robertson.
"He hasn't been gone too long, but I know you will give him a fantastic reception and it will be good to see him – even if the sight of him not wearing a Liverpool kit will take some getting used to!
"In terms of the game, we know it will be tough, and we know we have to show we are capable of putting in strong performances on a consistent basis.
"The best teams don't just play well every few games, they go again and again, game after game, and that is what we have to do.
"I believe we will do that. I know the work that we are putting in each day on the training pitch, and now it's about doing it in the games and finding that consistency in our performance levels.
"If we do that, the results will follow for sure."
Get your copy of the matchday programme at Anfield or buy via our online store