Virgil van Dijk urges Liverpool team-mates to shut out the outside noise

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has criticised “absolutely ridiculous takes” of his side’s poor form.

The Reds’ season had been plunged into crisis after six defeats from seven games in all competitions and four in a row in the Premier League.

Questions were being asked of boss Arne Slot and some of the players who coasted to the league title last season.

But they ended that run on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield to ease the pressure and silence some of the noise.

“What I have noticed over the last couple of weeks especially is that there is a lot of noise that you have no control over and that we have to deal with as a team,” the defender said.

“Some of those takes are absolutely ridiculous. But you have to deal with that. It’s outside noise that can reach certain players, the group. It’s about sticking together.”

Van Dijk added on TNT Sports: “We’re not going out there on the pitch to lose games, we’re not going out there to be disappointed after games or leave fans disappointed going home, we want to work our socks off and win games.

“But there’s no guarantee. You play in the Premier League, the highest level, in the biggest league in the world, and it’s difficult to stay calm but you have to do if you want to get back to where we want to be. That’s up there. But that’s something for later in the season to look at.

“Now it’s time to keep working, never get too high, never get too low.

“We live in a world now, for footballers at least, because that’s the only thing I can speak about, where everyone can have their opinion on so many platforms and everyone knows it better. We have to try to stay away from that and focus on the hard work we’ve been doing.”

Mohamed Salah’s 250th goal for Liverpool put them on their way to three points after a howler from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Ryan Gravenberch’s deflected effort sealed it after the break.

Salah became just the third player to score 250 goals for the club following in the footsteps of Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.

He said on the club’s official website: “It’s a great feeling to score goals and win trophies for such a big club. It’s something I don’t take for granted.

“I’m so proud and so happy about this achievement.”

Villa’s run of four successive wins is over after the loss and their struggles in front of goal continued as they have scored just nine goals in their opening 10 games.

Boss Unai Emery said: “Of course we need goals, but we hit two posts today, (Matty) Cash and Morgan Rogers were close to scoring. The goals are coming through our work and structure.

“It is not individually. We need collectively to get comfortable, create chances to score. Today we didn’t score, but the way we are doing and reacting after our poor start is getting us balance.”