Virgil van Dijk’s rallying cry: “Let’s do it in every competition!”

Liverpool FC captain Virgil van Dijk feels that maintaining consistency will be the key to glory this season, with the win over Everton FC taking the Reds to 20 points from just nine Premier League games so far.

As with every Merseyside derby, it was a tough day at Anfield for the home side, but a 2-0 over Everton FC on Saturday afternoon was a job well done by the players of Liverpool Football Club.

A second-half double from Mohamed Salah – the first a penalty, the second a composed finish after excellent work by Darwin Nunez – saw Jürgen Klopp’s side take all three points for the sixth time in just nine games so far this season.

The Reds’ form is promising, but captain Virgil van Dijk knows that consistency is the key to success.

“Obviously there has been a transition of course, but also in the way we play,” said the Dutchman.

“We have different players with different qualities and try to adapt a little bit in our football – and I think it’s working quite well.

“What’s also helping is we have not many injuries, so everyone is pushing each other. And we have that coming from the bench. Obviously a couple of injuries now, but before that [not]; that was also key.

“At the end of the day, it’s finding the consistency. Everyone is playing on quite a high level and that’s the key to success hopefully this season, and let’s do it in every competition we are in as well.”

Liverpool FC were seeking their first win in three Premier League games after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur FC and the draw with Brighton and Hove Albion FC before the international break, but Klopp insisted those games were already consigned to the memory banks.

“I like to respond on things, but you need to have a reason to respond and you should be able to remember the thing you have to respond to,” insisted the boss.

“Two weeks since Brighton, the players were everywhere in the world, that makes no sense.

“I’m not happy that we are ‘back on track’ or whatever, I’m happy we won the game. Yeah, and 20 points, that’s what we wanted and that’s what we have now, so that’s absolutely great.”

The Reds face two more games at Anfield this week, with Toulouse FC in the UEFA Europa League and the visit of Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest FC on Sunday.

“Now Thursday, different competition, super-important as well, another home game, fantastic. And from there we go, that’s the situation,” Klopp added.

“How I said, where the boys literally are coming from, I’m really happy with the performance, really. I liked it. And I didn’t hear anything different, we came all through without any kind of niggles, super-important. So, all good.”

Meanwhile, Klopp also paid tribute to his Egyptian King after Salah claimed his eighth goal of the season.

The 31-year-old may be in his seventh season at the club, but continues to show the same hunger, the same competitive instinct and the same predatory touch that has defined his time on Merseyside.

The manager said: "Look, what I love most about Mo is… well, maybe mostly I love the numbers!

"But I think that Mo Salah played for us an incredible amount of fantastic games. Today was not his best game but then [still] being that clinical with the penalty and then staying in the situation, that's probably his biggest quality, and I love that.

"We need someone who can bring the ball over the line, and he was that again. I couldn't respect that fact more.

"It's absolutely outstanding, the numbers are crazy. He will never stop, that is his nature and that's really cool for us."

Finally, Alisson Becker has been talking about the art of goalkeeping.

The Brazilian is arguably the finest Reds ‘keeper of the Premier League era, and he believes that the current onus on those in his position being good with their feet is not the most important aspect of the game for those trying to keep clean sheets.

“I think you see goalkeepers playing more with their feet from the back and you see teams playing more with their feet from the back, not only kicking long balls,” Alisson explained in last weekend’s matchday programme.

"That affects our position a little bit, but I don't think it changed too much. We just improved things because of the necessity of what football is asking for. Football today is asking for a team who builds up.

"The goalkeeper needs to play, to be good with his feet, but the main part is making saves and doing what a goalkeeper does – leading the team, claiming crosses. So I think playing with your feet is more an extra thing than the main thing for a goalkeeper."

In terms of his own style, unpredictability is one of the keys to his success.

"Every situation is different and I don't do the same things all the time,” added the 31-year-old.

"I think this makes things difficult for the striker because if they know how I react in every situation they can just do something different. I try not to do predictable things and every situation and save is unique.

"Of course I have my style and my technique and I stick to that, but I also try to read situations and what the striker is going to do and use what I train for to make saves.

"Training and reading situations are the key. In one-v-ones you have strikers who have more technique to chip the ball and others like to dribble [around] you, so you have to train and be ready for all these situations."