Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has insisted that his side will continue to take things game by game despite being tipped to challenge for the Premier League title this season.
The Reds were installed as second-favourites behind champions Manchester City to lift the trophy prior to the start of the campaign, and they offered a glimpse of why with a 4-0 victory over West Ham in their opening game on Sunday.
However, Van Dijk has urged his teammates not to get carried away by the excitement surrounding Jurgen Klopp's side, insisting that it is far too early to draw any conclusions.
"We've seen the media writing about us as the new champions and stuff but we don't really look at those things. We need to just focus game by game," he told reporters.
"We want to do well. We want to achieve greater things so we need to be ready for any challenge, any battle that comes to us. We are very well prepared, we were looking forward to this game and I think everyone could see it.
"For us it is key that we don't look too much at other teams. We need to look at ourselves and be ready every week for any opponent we face. That is key at the moment."
Liverpool's second match of the season comes against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park next Monday.
Barney Corkhill
