SUNDERLAND, England — For more than an hour at the Stadium of Light, it looked like it was going to be a familiar story for Liverpool. Arne Slot’s men arrived on Wearside aiming to do what no team had done before in the Premier League this season: beat newly promoted Sunderland at their home stadium.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City had already tried and failed to do so. For 61 minutes, the hosts looked set to extend their impressive home record as they stood firm in the face of near-constant Liverpool pressure.
But then there was Virgil van Dijk, rising highest to nod home what would be the winning goal in a steely 1-0 victory for the Premier League champions. It was not a vintage display, by any means, but it showcased a collective sense of grit and determination that too often has been in short supply for Liverpool this term.
It was telling that arguably the biggest cheer of the night from the traveling supporters came in the dying minutes when Alexis Mac Allister slid into a full-blooded tackle to see the ball out for a throw-in on the halfway line. This was not a night for guile and finesse but rather one where Liverpool had to simply stand up and be counted.
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That they did so could prove hugely decisive in the race for Champions League qualification, with Slot’s side now just three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and two points behind Chelsea in fifth. The fact that both teams had dropped points on Tuesday night — against West Ham United and Leeds United respectively — perhaps served to sharpen a few Liverpool minds ahead of Wednesday’s trip to the North East.
The late implosion at home to Manchester City at the weekend had — externally, at least — cranked up the pressure on Slot. And with star man Dominik Szoboszlai suspended after his late red card at the weekend, optimism within the fan base had been a precious commodity heading into this clash.
In the first half, supporters who had made the 170-mile trip from Merseyside could have been forgiven for fearing the worst as Liverpool failed to make their dominance count against a well-drilled Sunderland side. Florian Wirtz dazzled at times, forcing a fine save from Robin Roefs and clattering an effort against the post, but still the visitors could not find the breakthrough.
By halftime, Liverpool had enjoyed 68.2% possession and had 14 shots compared to Sunderland’s two. But with Slot’s side having fallen foul of so many fine margins this season, it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before they were made to pay for their profligacy.
But, if doubts were beginning to creep in among supporters, the players on the pitch did not allow their focus to waver. Having struggled from set pieces all season, it was ultimately a corner — Liverpool’s 10th of the evening — that propelled the visitors into the lead.
Despite Mohamed Salah once again struggling to find his best form on Wednesday night, the Egypt international still managed to make further history, as his dangerous cross into the penalty box saw him equal Steven Gerrard for most assists (92) for Liverpool in the Premier League era. Captain Van Dijk, meanwhile, carved out his own personal record with his thumping header, which saw him overtake Sami Hyypia to become the Reds’ highest-scoring defender in the competition with 23 goals.
Still, this torrid campaign has been anything but straightforward for Liverpool, and so it proved again as makeshift right-back Wataru Endo — the seventh player to feature in the position this season — was forced off the pitch with what Slot later described as a “serious” ankle injury. Having barely featured this term, the Japan international had barely put a foot wrong before his evening was cruelly cut short and he was replaced by the returning Joe Gomez.
But rather than wilt in the face of yet more adversity, Liverpool rallied. Ibrahima Konaté particularly excelled at the heart of the defense. Only a few months ago, the center-back was much maligned in some quarters after a litany of individual errors led to Slot admitting he was “too often at the crime scene.” However, against the lively Brian Brobbey, Konaté continued his remarkable resurgence, denying the Dutch international what looked like a certain goal with a superb last-ditch challenge in the second half.
“Impressed but not surprised,” Slot said of Konaté’s display. “He’s an example, almost of our season, he’s been so unlucky. He’s played games where he’s been so good for 89 minutes and then one moment ruins our game, his game. It’s not always about him but a few times that has happened and then everyone is focused on his mistake.
But footballers make mistakes and not always the ball goes in. I was just asked about the last 10 minutes and I said the good thing was we didn’t concede a chance. Against City we didn’t concede a chance after the first minute until the 84th minute, then we let one in. So it was good to hardly concede a chance and Ibou was a big part of that, together with Virgil, but I liked the mentality of the whole team.”
Certainly, that mentality will be tested again in the weeks and months ahead as Liverpool continue their pursuit of Champions League qualification. This season, progress has not always been linear and has too often been hampered by a surplus of false dawns.
For now, though, Liverpool have shown they can dig in and win the battle. If they want a seat at Europe’s top table next season, they have to continue to show they can win the war.
