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Sunderland finally lost this season at the Stadium of Light, Virgil van Dijk making the difference with his second-half header Louise Taylor was at the Stadium of Light. Here’s her verdict. Thanks for reading this MBM. A philosophical Régis Le Bris talks to TNT Sports. “We faced a very good team with good players … it was another big challenge … the mindset of the team was good … we struggled a bit during the first half … the second half was a bit better … fine margins decide this sort of game … we had a couple of chances but it wasn’t enough … you have to be really composed in the final third … they defended well … you have to be really creative but that wasn’t the case … we keep going … every game at home in the Premier League is a tough challenge … this place has to stay a strong place … with our crowd and our confidence we can keep it going like that … [the FA Cup against Oxford] will be another story … a Championship game … we are excited by this competition … we will go strong! ” Arne Slot gives his verdict to TNT. “In almost all of the things we did, we did really well … we had to defend a lot of long balls … set pieces … we won a lot of second balls … on the ball we were very good … the only thing I can be not so positive about is that if you generate so many chances you should score more than one goal … but today that was enough because we defended very, very, very well in all phases of the game … “a little bit of bad luck” [quoting TNT’s question, which suggested Liverpool had some good luck on their side for the winner] would not be the word I would use for this season … if you look at all the chances we created it tells you something that we needed this luck to score a goal … there were so many better chances … although our set pieces today were also very good … which is nice because we haven’t been the best team in the league for set pieces … [set pieces] make for so many teams in this league a big difference … it’s one of the first times it makes a difference for us … if you play for Liverpool or manage Liverpool every game is a must-win … that’s the pressure you should embrace otherwise you’re in the wrong place. ” He also reports that Wataru Endō’s injury “doesn’t look good … I expect him to be out unfortunately for a long time … what a mentality for him that things didn’t look good but he stayed on the pitch to defend one more set piece. ” Hopefully the managers will be along toot sweet, but for now it’s Florian Wirtz’s turn to chat with TNT. “We had to bring everything on the pitch to get the win here … everyone knows it’s not easy … so we are really happy to have the three points … very important for us … every good game gives you confidence … you cannot impact every game … of course you want to … everyone knows we have to stay focused until the last minute … we did it brilliantly today … not conceding a goal … we are very happy about that … the club deserves to win trophies … us as players we also want to win something … [Brighton at home in the FA Cup on Saturday] is an opportunity to go a step closer to a trophy so we want to take that … let’s see. ” The final x G score: Sunderland 0. 66, Liverpool 1. 95. Virgil van Dijk speaks to TNT Sports. “Great win … hard work … a very interesting, difficult pitch … pleased with the three points … recover and go again at the weekend … it was the same for both teams … quite the circumstances … well deserved … great game … we’ll take it … [Sunderland] showed this season how difficult it is to beat them … a lot of credit to them … their fans make it a good atmosphere … we kept a clean sheet … a good match for us … Ibou was outstanding … Macca in front … everyone was putting a shift in … unfortunately Wata going off … the guys worked so hard for us … great to see … we can’t deny [the three points] feels very big but there are still 12 more games to go … we have to try to keep improving … find consistency … against City we did well apart from the last ten minutes … so we have to try to keep building … try to stay fit … stay confident … today was a great step forward with and without the ball. ” The match-winner Virgil van Dijk shows little emotion. Arne Slot allows himself a smile, though, and no wonder: this result has given him a little wriggle room and bolstered Liverpool’s hopes of finishing in a Champions League spot. They were the better team tonight, with Florian Wirtz again impressive, Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté staunch, and Mo Salah improved, if still lacking a bit of confidence with the final pass and shot. But how Sunderland made them work for all three points. They didn’t put Alisson to work, but Brian Brobbey’s match-long battle with Konaté epitomised the spirit that’s got them into mid-table comfort. They’ll be fine. As for Liverpool, they’ve bagged a crucial three points at a pivotal stage of the season, and reclaim some ground as they attempt to chase down Manchester United and Chelsea. The whistle goes, and Sunderland are finally vanquished at the Stadium of Light! 90 min +7: A long ball hoofed into the Liverpool box. Ballard tugs Van Dijk to the ground, and that should be that. 90 min +6: Salah again down the inside-right channel. He swishes a smooth half-volley across Roefs and inches wide of the bottom left. Liverpool have an x G of 1. 84, but Sunderland (0. 66) are still in this! 90 min +5: Salah scampers after a long punt down the inside-right channel. He prepares to shoot as he enters the box, but Geertruida nips in to squeeze the ball out for a corner. Not far from finding the bottom right of his own goal, to be fair. Nothing comes of the set piece. But Liverpool come again with the press, and Roefs sells Jones an outrageous dummy! Then nearly undoes all of his stylish work by hovering over the clearance and nearly getting closed down by the recovering Jones. He clears in time. The tension at the Stadium of Light is palpable. 90 min +4: Liverpool play some keep-ball in the Sunderland half. Meanwhile, on TNT, former Sunderland striker names possible match-winner Virgil van Dijk as his man of the match. 90 min +3: Isidor comes on for Diarra, Sunderland’s last roll of the dice. 90 min +2: Mundle jinks in from the left and runs slap-bang into Mac Allister. He wants a penalty, but there’s no way he’s getting one. 90 min +1: Talbi crosses high from the right. At the far stick, Gomez, ice in the veins, cushions a header into the arms of Alisson. What fine defence! 90 min: … and yes, as expected, there will be seven additional minutes. 89 min: The Liverpool fans are in good voice as their team edges towards the line. But there’s going to be a fair bit of added time due to Endo’s injury, and Liverpool have already conceded four 90+min winners this season, tying the all-time Premier League record with Watford (17-18 and 21-22), West Ham (21-22) and Southampton (24-25). One more and they’ll hold this unwanted record all by themselves. 88 min: Ekitike is replaced by Chiesa. 87 min: Jones and Ekitike combine on the halfway line to spring a Liverpool counter. Wirtz cuts back from the right to tee up Jones, who aims for the top-left corner, but it’s always heading over. Not sure Roefs would have got there had it been on target. 86 min: Mukiele crosses from the right, but inaccurately, allowing Alisson to claim. Liverpool are sitting back and inviting trouble. We’ve seen this movie before. 85 min: Geertruida nearly finds Le Fee down the left channel, but overhits the pass. Alisson smothers. Should Geertruida have taken his chances from the edge of the box? He had a little bit of time. 84 min: Le Fee slips a ball down the inside-left for Brobbey, who has the chance to turn away from the out-of-position Van Dijk and shoot, but slips at the crucial moment. Van Dijk takes his chance to close his man down. 82 min: Mundle is in the thick of it immediately, probing down the left but unable to get past Salah and Gomez. Meanwhile here’s Kári Tulinius: “I’ve thought Wataru Endo has been excellent when he’s featured for Liverpool, but he’s been absolutely crucial for Japan, where he anchors the midfield. I hope that the injury won’t affect his participation in the World Cup, because at full strength Samurai Blue are a really good side to watch and could go far. ” 80 min: Sunderland make a triple change. Alderete, Hume and Angulo are replaced by Mundle, Talbi (who scored at Anfield in December) and Geertruida (who nearly joined Liverpool in the window that’s just shut). 78 min: Wirtz crosses from the left for Ekitike, who steers a downward header across Roefs and inches wide of the bottom-left corner. A big miss, and one that’s almost identical to the one against Manchester City last Sunday. 77 min: A stat from TNT Sports: Salah’s assist for the goal puts him on 92 in the Premier League, tying a Liverpool record with Steven Gerrard. 76 min: Mukiele turns smoothly into space down the right before suffering a rush of blood and hoicking an overly ambitious shot over the bar from a tight angle. In the middle, Le Fee le-fumes. 75 min: Jones comes on for Gakpo. These late-game defensive subs haven’t always worked well for Arne Slot this season, so let’s see how this one pans out. 74 min: Ekitike has the opportunity to release Salah into the box down the right, but seriously overhits the pass. Ekitike has been excellent this season, though his decision making with the final ball has sometimes been lacking. Something to work on. 72 min: It’s Brobbey versus Konate again! The former prepares to swivel and shoot near the penalty spot. He's about to cock his leg and smash home, when Konate, sticking to his shoulder once again, executes a high-tariff block-and-clear tackle. A brief shout for a penalty, but only from the fans, not the players. Brobbey-Konate has been box-office tonight. 71 min: Salah curls a shot in from the right. It pings off Le Fee’s arm, but there won’t be a penalty as the player was facing the other way and didn’t have a clue what was going on. Ekitike tries to flick the rebound home, but loops over the bar from close range. That’s a big chance. 69 min: Sunderland’s supporters give Endo a warm ovation as he disappears down the tunnel. Van Dijk deals with the corner at the restart. “Did Liverpool’s defensive coach walk under a ladder, trip over a black cat and break the mirror he was holding? ” wonders Patrick Crumlish. “Something weird going on with even the emergency right-backs. When Endo gets injured, you know there’s a curse. ” 68 min: I’m not sure why Endo didn’t stay down after suffering his injury. He sportingly got up to keep the game going, but at awful personal cost. He covers his eyes as he’s lifted off the pitch. Gomez will come on in his place. Liverpool’s right-back position appears to be cursed this season. 66 min: Endo stood firm, part of an all-hands-to-pump defence of that Sunderland corner. So brave. Perhaps too brave, because the poor guy is in serious pain. On comes the stretcher, but before he can be loaded onto it, he’s given a toot of gas. Liverpool’s injury woes this season show no sign of abating. 64 min: The corner, with Endo in all sorts of trouble, is defended in the last-ditch fashion by Liverpool. Alisson punches clear amid some high-speed pinball. Gravenberch finally turns the ball out for a corner, but before it can be taken, Endo goes down again. He surely can’t continue. He’s in some distress. He turned his ankle horribly. 62 min: Sunderland look for the instant response. Mukiele crosses from the right. Angulo waits to sweep home from six yards, but Endo sticks out a leg to divert out for a corner. Then Endo falls on that leg. Ooyah. That’s going to hurt, his ankle turned sickeningly. But he bravely gets up, hobbling badly, to defend the corner!