By our man at the Stadium of Light
THE Stadium of Light lived up to its name last night, but it was Liverpool’s shining stars who finally blinded a Sunderland side that had forgotten how to lose on home turf.
For 12 long months, the Wearside fortress had stood firm.
But in the 61st minute, the “Big Dutchman” Virgil van Dijk rose above the noise and the Black Cats’ backline to power home a header that keeps Liverpool’s Top Four dreams flickering.
It wasn’t pretty, and at times it was down-right gritty, but Arne Slot’s men showed they have the stomach for a scrap in the freezing Northeast rain.
While the match was a tactical chess game for an hour, Van Dijk proved why he remains the gold standard.
After a frustrating first half where Florian Wirtz—Liverpool’s £100m+ spark plug—rattled the woodwork, it took a set-piece to break the deadlock.
Mohamed Salah, showing flashes of his trademark magic, whipped in a corner so inviting it should have come with an RSVP. Van Dijk didn’t just meet it; he dominated it.
His header was too hot for Sunderland’s Habib Diarra to handle on the line, sparking wild scenes in the away end. If Van Dijk provided the punch, Ibrahima Konate provided the shield.
The “French Wall” was in monstrous form, putting in a performance that had the travelling Kopites purring.
One first-half block to deny Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey was worth a goal in itself.
Sunderland didn’t roll over. Regis Le Bris’ side, led by the tireless Trai Hume, huffed and puffed, but they found the door bolted shut by a Liverpool defence that finally looked “world-class” again.
BITTERSWEET VICTORY
It wasn’t all smiles for the Reds, though.
The sight of Wataru Endo being stretchered off late on cast a shadow over the result, leaving Slot with a midfield headache just as the race for Europe heats up.
Sunderland’s unbeaten home record is gone, snatched away by a captain’s goal and a defensive masterclass. For Liverpool, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
