Van Dijk: Jacquet hasn't reached his peak yet; he needs to keep pushing to discover his ceiling

Liverpool Echo reported that Van Dijk urged Liverpool players to maintain their high standards at Anfield following the 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Reds captain insisted that the club can continue to succeed in the post-Salah era, with Barcola, Isak, and Wirtz all playing crucial roles over the weekend.

Under Andoni Iraola, Liverpool secured their fourth consecutive win, inflicting a second defeat on Fabian Hürzeler's side and leaving Brighton & Hove Albion in third place.

Wirtz's shot was deflected in as an own goal by Gross, and Barcola then pressed Olivier Boscagli, allowing Isak to score his sixth goal of the season before halftime.

The trio of Isak, Barcola, and Wirtz, valued at a combined £364 million, have contributed 6 goals and 3 assists over the last four matches, excluding the own goal credited to Gross on Sunday.

When asked whether the trio had assumed the goal-scoring responsibility left by Salah's departure in May after nine glorious years, Van Dijk stated that they are proving the club can remain strong without the Egyptian legend, who now plays for Trabzonspor in the Turkish Süper Lig.

"I think that's the reality," Van Dijk said. "What Salah has done as a winger for so many years—of course we hope for that—but I don't think anyone can replicate those achievements. Hopefully it will happen, but what he did was incredible. The same goes for Mane and Firmino.

"Hopefully, it can happen again, and that's what we're striving for, but now it's up to others to step up.

"We can always feel that the past was better, but that shouldn't be the mentality at a club like Liverpool, and I don't think it ever has been here. The club will always move forward, and there will always be players who shine and contribute. Now it's up to these players to prove it every three or four days.

"Moments like that (the second goal) will give them and the team confidence. We can all see the capabilities of Barcola and Isak.

"You want them to show their ability as quickly as possible. I think the second goal today was excellent, but they've had many moments this season where they performed very, very well.

"At a club like Liverpool, you have to do that every three or four days. It's always a challenge, but it's a good challenge. I'm very confident everything will be fine. For this game, everyone gave their all.

"That goal was brilliant. Conor Bradley provided an excellent assist for the second goal, Wirtz was crucial for the first, and of course Araujo played his part. Everyone contributed to an important victory."

Van Dijk added: "To be honest, we would have liked more possession. But against Brighton & Hove Albion, that can cause problems because they press very well.

"So we had to play more directly than we would have preferred, as they used man-marking. If Wirtz dropped back, Dunk almost followed him, which gave our front three one-on-one opportunities. We have the pace and ability to exploit those situations, and I think that's what happened in the first 30 minutes.

"I think it was a great win. We didn't give them many chances, kept a clean sheet, and scored a couple of excellent goals."

With all 11 players on the pitch, Liverpool have conceded only 1 goal in the Premier League since August, largely due to the increasingly solid partnership between Van Dijk and Jérémy Jacquet, who joined from Rennes in the summer for £60 million.

"He's been playing very well," Van Dijk said of his 21-year-old center-back partner. "He just needs to keep going and see what his ceiling is. I don't think he's reached his peak yet, so keep pushing.

"We have a good relationship, and it's improving every day through training and matches. That's what I've said from day one: it requires games and especially training sessions.

"Communication off the pitch is also important. There will be good moments in matches and not-so-good moments, and the key is how we react and help each other.

"I enjoy playing alongside him, and I think he does too. There's more to come."