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Liverpool past the edge Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light, Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header was enough to separate the sides after a stubborn defensive display from the hosts.
In difficult, wet conditions, the early stages were scrappy rather than free-flowing. Sunderland pressed offensively and looked to use Brian Broby as an outlet, frequently testing Ibrahima Konate in direct duels.
The French defender dealt with the initial threat well, especially tracking Broby to block a close-range effort after a Mukil cross.
Liverpool gradually took more control of the game. Florian Wirtz was the visitors’ most inventive player in the first half and came close on several occasions.
His curling strike from distance forced a sharp save from goalkeeper Ruffs, and moments later, he found space inside the penalty area to curl a low effort into the base of the post.
Rafs was called into action again when he denied Wirtz’s header from a Mohamed Salah delivery.
Despite pressure from Liverpool, Sunderland remained organized from the back. Daniel Ballard and Omar Alderet repeatedly cleared one corner after another, while Alisson also needed to react quickly at the other end to keep out an Angulo effort that bounced awkwardly in front of him.
A physical contest between Broby and Konate led to a penalty appeal before the interval, but the referee let play continue and the teams went into half-time level.
The pattern continued after the restart, with Liverpool dominating but struggling to break down a compact defensive shape. Sunderland threatened occasionally on the counter, with Mukil pulling a shot short wide and Broby again being denied by a save from Konate’s rebound inside the area.
The big moment came in the 61st minute. Salah swung in a left-footed corner from the right and Van Dijk rose above the crowd to flick a header goalward. Habib Diarra tried to clear on the line but could not prevent the ball from crossing, giving Liverpool the lead.
The goal dynamic changed. Sunderland were pushed forward and responded almost immediately during a goalmouth scramble, when Wataru Ando suffered a nasty ankle injury and blocked a try and had to be replaced by Joe Gomez.
As the match moved into its final quarter, the home side increased their urgency. Substitute Romain Mundle entered the box, appealing for a penalty after making contact with Alexis McAllister, but nothing was awarded.
Liverpool still created chances to extend the lead. Hugo Ektic headed wide from a Wirtz cross and Salah later headed wide of the near post after the ball fell invitingly inside the area.
# It was a crucial three points for Liverpool Premier LeagueGives them a much-needed boost in the race for Champions League places.
