Liverpool have the opportunity to go 11 points clear of Premier League champions Manchester City if they beat Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday, but captain Virgil van Dijk says the team need to “stay humble and calm” to “keep getting points on the board”.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Van Dijk said: “We are only going to be in December on Sunday, so there are still five months to go or something. We want to win the game but we know what they are capable of so, first and foremost, we have to be ready for their challenge.

“We should not be looking at anyone else other than ourselves. As long as we are consistent and getting points on the board, that’s all that matters.

“I don’t look at others. I want to make sure that we, as a team and a club, are winning games, finding ways to win, working our socks off and staying calm.

“It [the club’s fine start to the season] is about hard work, staying humble and calm, and our quality. I think our belief and conviction has been there for many years, so it’s now all about the consistency and staying calm.”

On Manchester City’s current form, the Dutch defender added: “They have won four [titles] in a row for a reason. We have to be ready for a very difficult one this weekend, and we will be.

“They aren’t in the best form of their lives. I think injuries play a big part in that and we have been in a situation like that before, where we had loads of injuries, and it is never easy to then find consistency and confidence.

“But I know, like everyone else who understands football, that Manchester City can turn things around at any moment. Hopefully that’s not on Sunday, but we have to be at our best to get a result and that is what we are aiming for.”

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds