Programme notesVirgil van Dijk: It's now about showing our talent consistently

The Reds produced a brilliant response to last weekend's defeat by Nottingham Forest by opening their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 win at San Siro on Tuesday night.

Van Dijk wants to follow up that encouraging result and display with more of the same when AFC Bournemouth visit Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.

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In his column in the matchday programme, the captain writes: "We know that we fell way short of the required standard against Forest, and that hurts.

"We don't lose many games at Anfield, so it was inevitable that people were wondering how we would react as we headed to Milan. And apart from the first five minutes, I think we answered the questions.

"It was a difficult start, but the way we worked after going behind was outstanding. It would be easy to lose composure going 1-0 down so early in the game, against a good team in an iconic stadium, but we stayed calm and kept looking for the solution, which was very good to see.

"From a personal perspective, it was good to get my first goal of the season, and it was good to see Ibou Konate get his first for a good while too. We may be defenders first and foremost, but we both know the importance of chipping in at the other end as well, and for us both to get on the scoresheet was very pleasing.

"Any away victory in the Champions League is hard-earned, especially against a team like Milan, so we were very happy with the way we controlled the game thereafter, and it was great to see our travelling fans celebrating at the end.

"We know that you guys have been as desperate as we have to get back into the Champions League, so this was a pretty good way to return.

"The key now is to build on that performance, and to deliver on a week-to-week basis. I have said many times that we remain a work in progress as a team, but we have shown already this season that there is a lot of talent within the squad. Now, it is about showing that consistently.

"That is on all of us. We have to stay fit, we have to do everything in our power to be ready for the next game, whether we start or not, and we have to feel part of winning games.

"We have a lot of games coming up, so we need all the guys to be ready. Everybody wants to play every game, of course, but we know that rotation is going to be important if we are to be successful this season, so it's about each and every player making sure they are in the best possible condition to make an impact, whether from the start or off the bench.

"We know that Bournemouth will provide a tough test for us. They are a team that always makes life difficult for their opponents, who are well organised and have good players, and we will need to be at our best if we are to get the three points.

"Like I said earlier, we don't lose many games at Anfield, and that is certainly not a habit we want to be starting now. We showed a good reaction over in Milan, and now we want to give our home supporters something to shout about after last weekend's disappointment."

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