Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool 'Not Getting Carried Away' with Premier League Lead

Virgil van Dijk has said Liverpool aren't "getting carried away" with their 16-point lead at summit of the Premier League, adding that their advantage doesn't mean anything yet.

The Reds increased their cushion at the top of the table after defeating rivals Manchester United 2-0 on Sunday. Defending champions Manchester City drew 2-2 at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday to fall further off the pace.

Liverpool's players have become accustomed to questions about the likely end of the club's 30-year wait for a top-flight title, and Van Dijk said the Merseysiders will stay on their toes until the end, per Goal's Neil Jones:

"How many guys have you been interviewing from us?! I think we all give the same answer.

"Everyone can have their opinion, have their say on the situation we are in now but we all know as a group, everyone that is involved in Melwood, we are not getting carried away. 

"We can't deny that we are in a good situation, but these things don't mean anything at the moment—only at the end of the season. And hopefully it does mean something at the end of the season."

The Netherlands international headed home Liverpool's early opener at Anfield on Sunday before Mohamed Salah capped off the victory in the 90th minute:

Liverpool finished second to City by a single point last season, while the memory of Steven Gerrard's infamous slip—which had a dramatic impact in them coming second to City in 2013-14—will be fresh for many fans.

The Reds are still to suffer defeat in the Premier League this season, and the only points they've dropped all campaign came in a 1-1 draw away to Manchester United in October.

Klopp's men are on course to seal the crown in record time if they carry on their current form, per the Press Association's Ashley Broadley:

Liverpool have won 13 consecutive Premier League games since that draw at Old Trafford, and a streak of seven clean sheets in a row tells of the impact made by centre-back duo Van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe commented that, unfortunately for Liverpool's Premier League rivals, this may only be the beginning of their domination:

It would go down as one of the most calamitous capitulations in football history if Liverpool were to somehow not win the title this term, which would be their first since the 1989-90 campaign.

Van Dijk added he and his team-mates "all know why we work so hard for each other," a mindset that doesn't seem likely to leave Klopp's squad anytime soon.

The Reds travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday hoping to beat Nuno Espirito Santo's side for the second time this season.