Virgil van Dijk urges Liverpool to improve in final third ahead of FA Cup clash with Barnsley

Liverpool – Having emerged from their early-season slump with an unbeaten 10-game run, Liverpool need to find that edge in the final third if they are to improve further, said captain Virgil van Dijk.

While they won five matches during that stretch, they have drawn the other five, including their last three Premier League games.

It left them fourth on 35 points after 21 games, eight points behind second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Aston Villa.

Looking ahead to their FA Cup third-round tie at home against Barnsley on Jan 12, van Dijk said: “There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of opportunities to go out and show why we are Liverpool and why we are the reigning champions.

“Any competition is important, but definitely the FA Cup is important. Barnsley will come to us on Monday, and I am looking forward to that game. They will try everything in order to get through, and we have to be ready for a big fight and the chances to finish them off.”

The Reds were last in action on Jan 8,

when they held league leaders Arsenal to a 0-0 draw

at the Emirates Stadium, maintaining the 14-point gap between both sides.

Van Dijk expressed surprise at the pundits’ praise for their performance against the Gunners. The Dutch defender added: “When we have 60 or 70 per cent ball possession against other teams, people find it boring, and now it is a good performance.

“But again we hardly created a chance and now we say, ‘What a performance’. This is who we are – we can dominate possession, we know how to do build-up, but we struggle, obviously, in a few things.

“Set pieces are one of them, dominating moments when we are in the final third, to find the right pass and the right execution, that is something that is still not at the level some other teams are, and that’s why we are working every single day.

“Yes we did really well in ball possession but, for me, it wasn’t that much different than playing Leeds at home (0-0) or Fulham away (2-2), where we dominated ball possession as well.

“But then people are annoyed that these teams are not of the magnitude of Arsenal, it is not good enough, which I completely agree on, by the way, because I want to see us creating more chances as well.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who is without striker Alexander Isak (injured) and forward Mohamed Salah (Africa Cup of Nations duty), will hope to have Hugo Ekitike available after the French striker missed their last two games with a hamstring issue.

Slot, who said he will field a strong side in a bid to avoid a repeat of

last season’s fourth-round exit to Plymouth Argyle

, will also be without Conor Bradley.

The right back will undergo surgery after injuring his knee in the draw at Arsenal, with his return to action this season in doubt.

Barnsley’s last Liverpool encounter was an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Anfield in 2008, when they won 2-1 via Brian Howard’s stoppage-time winner after Dirk Kuyt’s opener.

They are currently 17th in League One, two tiers below the Premier League, having lost four of their last six games.

Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane said they are fully prepared for a tough occasion against “one of the best teams in the world”.

“It’s difficult to know what personnel will be out there,” added the Irishman, who played in the Premier League for Aston Villa. “Are the big boys going to play, or will they go a little bit weaker?

“Either way, we need to be ready and have a game plan. I want the lads to maximise the opportunity and express themselves.”