Ahead of the clash against Chelsea at Anfield, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk demanded the squad not let their great start become a memory that “faded away”. His message was heard loud and clear as Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones saw the Reds over the line.

Liverpool will face RB Leipzig midweek, seeking their third Champions League victory of the current season. They will face Arsenal the following weekend, continuing the unrelenting series of games until the November international break.

Arne Slot has started his tenure successfully, installing his tactical style of play comfortably into the squad which he inherited. Liverpool have won ten out of their first 11 games in all competitions under the guidance of their head coach. A tally bettered only by Pep Guardiola, putting Slot in elite company.

However, until earlier this weekend, the Reds had not faced a single club that resides in the top half of the Premier League table. Chelsea was our first big challenge as the on-form London rivals find themselves rejuvenated under the leadership of Enzo Maresca. While the game was far from easy, the ability to adapt to the challenge and come up trumps speaks volumes about the Liverpool roster’s attitude. More so given that the last time we came off an international break, we succumbed to a loss at home.

Van Dijk delivered his programme notes (via Liverpoolfc.com) before the Chelsea clash with Liverpool, outlining the importance of the squad maintaining consistency after a great start. He said:

“This is a period in which we will need every single member of the squad. We are all satisfied with the start we have made to the campaign, with nine wins out of 10 games in all competitions, but that only makes us hungrier to deliver more. We don’t want to be remembered as a side which flew out of the blocks and then faded away. We want to get stronger and stronger as the season progresses, delivering big performances and big results on a consistent basis. That is what we will be demanding of ourselves.”

The Reds lost their only game against Nottingham Forest right after the September international break due to complacent individual performances. Liverpool faced a similar problem last season as complacency acted as their prime adversary in Jurgen Klopp’s last campaign as manager.

Van Dijk has a pivotal role to play as the leader to make sure that the squad maintains their focus. Liverpool have a strong depth and multiple players for each position but they need to deliver their best performance when needed. Thankfully that was the case on Sunday.

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The 33-year-old has continued to dominate the defence, not just as a leader but also as the best centre-back of this generation. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his contract as he plays in the last season of his current contract, Van Dijk has remained focused.