Caoimhin Kelleher believes Liverpool’s recent win over Chelsea showcased their ability to grind out victories.
The Reds remain a point clear at the top of the Premier League following a 2-1 triumph over the Londoners at Anfield on Sunday.
This match marks the beginning of a gruelling schedule, with seven games in 20 days that could significantly influence the coming months of the season.
Kelleher, who made his 50th appearance for Liverpool this weekend, is set for an extended run in the starting lineup due to first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker being sidelined for at least another month with a hamstring injury.
The Republic of Ireland international explained how the team managed to fulfill head coach Arne Slot’s objective of being hard to break down, having rarely been tested against Chelsea.
“The manager has been big on that,” he said.
“You can play nice football and obviously that’s important but when you come into these games against Chelsea where the quality is so high, it’s going to be a tight game and you need to dig in and you need to make blocks, you need to make challenges and you need to defend well because at the end of the day the defending wins games.
“It was a big game for us. I thought the crowd was brilliant – the atmosphere was electric.
“We’re back to the top of the table, which is important, and it was a big win for us.
“For me it’s about being mentally really focused, trying to help the defenders in front of me to be in the right positions.
“But I must say we defended really well as a team and limited them to very few chances. I didn’t have much to do.
“The most important thing for a goalkeeper is to be mentally switched on, especially for a team like Liverpool where you aren’t going to have a lot of work to do and maybe there is that one chance where you need to be there.”
Caoimhin Kelleher added: “The manager is right to say it’s only early days for us, not too many games into the league and some tougher games to come for us.
“But it’s obviously going in the right direction and hopefully we can continue.
“It’s a tough run of games now, but hopefully we can keep everyone fit and get some good results.”
Read more: Mikel Arteta provides Arsenal injury update on Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard
Mikel Arteta remains tight-lipped on whether Arsenal will appeal William Saliba red card
Erik ten Hag gives honest verdict on Jose Mourinho and Manchester United after Brentford win
