That significant gap at the summit was carved out last weekend as the Reds fully capitalised on an Arsenal defeat by winning 2-0 away at Manchester City.

The packed schedule continues as Arne Slot’s men return to action on home soil this evening, hosting Newcastle United, with whom they played out a 3-3 draw at St. James’ Park in December.

Van Dijk was delighted with the manner of Liverpool’s performance three days ago but wasted no time in reminding the squad of the need for ‘tunnel vision’.

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“I thought on Sunday that every single one of our players did their job to a very high level,” the captain writes in his matchday programme notes.

“It was probably the best we have defended as a team all season, and that hard work, togetherness and determination to keep a clean sheet was what gave us the platform to go and get a very important three points.

“It was, of course, amazing to see the scenes in the away end at the final whistle. We never take our fans for granted, and to be able to give them moments like that, afternoons like that, is one of the great privileges of playing for this club.

“On we go, though. The next challenge is here, and it is a big one.

“I spoke in the dressing room after the game about the need to stay calm and keep focusing on what is in front of us. I know the wider world will want to put us on a pedestal now and talk about the league table and things like this, but that is for them to worry about, not us.

“Us, we have to have tunnel vision; next game, next game, next game. That is the way it has been all season, and it has served us well so far, so why change now?”

Van Dijk continues: “We began our preparations for Newcastle the second the final whistle blew at the Etihad, because we know how big a test this game will be.

“They pushed us really hard when we went to St. James’ Park in December, and they have been on a good run since then too, with 13 wins in their last 16 matches, including a thrilling one against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

“We know all about the threat they will pose. We have to be ready for that, and I can assure you we will be. We need to be as disciplined and committed as we were at the Etihad, because if we work hard and defend well, then we know we have the quality to hurt teams.

“We also need our fans to be on fire from the first whistle, which I know you will be. We know how important Anfield is to us, and hopefully we can use it to our advantage in the coming weeks, with seven of our remaining 11 league games to be played at home.

“Let’s make Anfield amazing for these games, as loud as we can, and as difficult for our opponents as possible.”

This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.