Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header sealed a 1-0 win for Liverpool, ending Sunderland’s unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light and boosting their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
With Chelsea and Manchester United dropping points on Tuesday, the hard-fought win moved Arne Slott’s side two points clear of the Champions League places and ensured a positive reaction to Sunday’s late loss to Manchester City.
Van Dijk’s match-winning moment came just after the end of the clock. Mohamed Salah’s header from a corner kick proved too powerful for Sunderland midfielder Khabib Diarra, who could only send it into the roof of the net on the goal line.
The header was one of Liverpool’s 23 shots on goal. Florian Wirtz had the best chance of the first half, hitting the post, but Hugo Ekitike and Salah missed chances to extend their lead in the closing stages.
Van Dijk rises to the top and scores from Mohamed Salah’s corner kick
Liverpool players also join in the celebrations with Van Dijk
Sunderland went into the game as the only unbeaten team this season without losing at home in 12 games, but they created only half their chances through Nordi Mukiele, Try Hume and debutant Nilsson Angulo.
Liverpool’s wasteful spending kept them in the game until the end, but they held on despite pressure from Sunderland to avoid a repeat of what collapsed in the closing stages on Sunday.
This well-deserved victory featured welcome defensive resilience and another eye-catching performance from Werts, only his second in their last eight Premier League games, putting them back in the fight for a top-five finish.
The only negative for Slott was an injury to stop-gap right-back Wataru Endo, who had to be stretchered off in the second half and replaced by Joe Gomez. “His injury doesn’t look good,” Slott said. “Unfortunately I think he’s going to be out for quite a while.”
Sunderland are now 11th in the league with their first league defeat of the season.
Analysis: Liverpool can pile up valuable wins
This was exactly what Liverpool needed after a series of capitulations in stoppage time. Sunday’s loss to Manchester City was painful, but on this evidence they should be able to bounce back enough to clinch the Champions League title.
There was a lot to like about Slott, who showed off his commitment to set pieces at both ends of the pitch. This is an area where they have struggled this season, but when they needed to defend they defended well and scored the winning goal from one of several dangerous corners.
He also produced many results from open play. The host team was happy to win by one goal. But most satisfying was the tenacity of their defensive performance. Liverpool looked strong in a place where many teams have declined this season.
They have more friendly matches scheduled in the future.
After facing Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, they will face the bottom four teams of the Premier League: Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Wolves. This is a chance to thoroughly review the teams above them in the race for the top five.
Slots: Every game is a must win for us
“Almost everything we did, we did really well,” Liverpool manager Arne Slott told TNT Sports.
“We had to defend a lot of long balls and set pieces and we did that really well.
“If you create so many chances you should be able to score multiple goals, but today it was enough because we defended very well in all phases of the game.
“When you play for Liverpool or manage Liverpool, you have to win every game.
“Last season when we were top of the league we needed to win and now that we are in this position we feel the same way.
“That’s the pressure you have to take at Liverpool. Otherwise you’re in the wrong place.”
Le Bris: “The battle will be decided by a narrow margin”
“The team’s mindset was good,” Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris told TNT Sports.
“In the first half, we had a little bit of trouble controlling our opponents. We played a lot of defense, so we lacked a little bit of energy to be more calm on the ball.
“We were a little better in the second half, but the game was decided by close margins. We conceded goals from set pieces, which they are good at.
“We had some chances, but it wasn’t enough to get us back into the game.
“Every game at home is a tough challenge, and this one was another one. This place has to remain a strong place. With the crowd and confidence, we’ll keep going like this.”
Salah equals Gerrard’s record – Opta stats
Mohamed Salah recorded his 92nd assist in the Premier League for Liverpool, making him joint-equal with Steven Gerrard for the most assists in the competition for the Reds. Liverpool attempted 23 shots, the most since Sunderland hit 24 in a home league match against Chelsea in November 2014. Sunderland lost their first home game in all competitions since losing 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers in May 2025, leaving them first in the table. His unbeaten streak ended in 14 games.
