Liverpool were lucky to come away with a 2-2 draw against visiting Manchester United on Sunday, according to Virgil van Dijk.
United were worthy foes against the Premier League leaders despite entering the match in 14th place, scoring the opening goal shortly after halftime and getting an equaliser with 10 minutes left to play after Liverpool claimed a lead with a pair of goals in quick succession.
The visitors kept the pressure on through the dying moments of the match and nearly found a winner before the final whistle, but both teams had to settle for a point in a result that left neither side satisfied.
For the hosts, they were both disappointed in dropping points to their rivals and also relieved that they came away with anything at all.
"It could have been a lot worse if we are absolutely honest with ourselves," Van Dijk told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They had a big chance in the end that could have been a lot worse than where we are now.
"I'm definitely disappointed with dropping points at home but it is what is and we have to move on and we will."
Van Dijk explained that his side could have done much better at protecting their late lead but couldn't maintain possession in the closing moments.
"We found the 2-1 [goal] and then it is about trying to manage the game and keep the ball for longer than three and four passes," the Liverpool captain said. "We lost the ball too easily at times and then we were more open than we should have been.
"We're not perfect, we're still learning and we have to learn from this as well."