Alexander Isak scored his sixth goal of the campaign at Anfield, finishing after Bradley Barcola won possession and supplied the assist. Florian Wirtz had earlier forced the opening goal, his effort deflecting in off Pascal Gross, as Liverpool moved up to fourth with a fourth straight win under Andoni Iraola.
With Mohamed Salah now at Trabzonspor after nine years at Liverpool, Van Dijk said the club must look forward while recognising the scale of the Egyptian’s contribution. He also referenced the legacies of Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino.
“What Mo has done for so many years as a winger, let’s hope so, but I don’t think anyone can replicate that,” Van Dijk said of life after Salah, speaking to the Liverpool Echo. “Hopefully it is going to happen, but what he did was incredible. The same goes with Sadio (Mane) and Bobby (Roberto Firmino).
“Hopefully that is going to happen again and that is what we work for, but now it is time for others, and others have to step up.”
Van Dijk said the club cannot live in the past as Isak, Barcola and Wirtz take on greater responsibility.
“We can always think it was better back in the day, but that is not the mentality that it should be at a club like Liverpool, and I don’t feel it has ever been. The club will always move on at a certain point, and there are always players who will shine and perform for the club. It is down to these players who are here now to show it every three or four days.”
“Moments like this (the second goal) will give confidence to them and to the team as well. But we all see the quality that they both (Barcola and Isak) possess.
“You want it to come out as much as possible and as soon as possible and I think today, the second goal was class, but there are plenty of moments already this season that they have been very, very good.”
Van Dijk also praised Liverpool’s work against Brighton’s press.
“If I’m honest, we would have loved a bit more control of the ball. But against Brighton, that is sometimes asking for problems because they are so good at pressing.
“So we had to be a little bit more direct than we would have loved, because they go one-vs-one.”
He added: “I think it is a great win. We didn’t give much away and we kept a clean sheet, and scored some good goals.”
Van Dijk also praised centre-back partner Jérémy Jacquet, 21, saying their partnership is improving. “I am enjoying it and I think he is enjoying it as well. Onto much more.”