Virgil van Dijk lifted Liverpool back into the race to qualify for the Champions League as the defender sealed a 1-0 win at Sunderland on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Reds captain Van Dijk netted in the second half to inflict Sunderland\u2019s first home defeat in the Premier League this season.<\/p>\n
Sixth-placed Liverpool\u2019s second win in their last eight league games moved them within two points of fifth-placed Chelsea and three behind fourth-placed Manchester United.<\/p>\n
Draws for United and Chelsea on Tuesday opened the door for Liverpool to revive their spluttering bid to reach Europe\u2019s elite club competition and they seized the opportunity with a gritty victory on rain-lashed Wearside.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the aftermath of last weekend\u2019s 2-1 home defeat against Manchester City, Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted this has been the toughest season in his career \u201cby a mile\u201d.<\/p>\n
Slot has faced mounting speculation about his position, less than a year after leading Liverpool to the English title.<\/p>\n
He conceded it would be unacceptable if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League, admitting they need to be \u201cclose to perfection\u201d to secure a berth in it.<\/p>\n
While this was far from a perfect performance, Slot\u2019s men did enough to keep themselves in the hunt for the top-five finish that is likely to guarantee Champions League qualification.<\/p>\n
Sunderland kicked off with the Premier League\u2019s only unbeaten home record this season, with leaders Arsenal and second-placed City both forced to settle for a draw at the Stadium of Light.<\/p>\n
Unlike Arsenal and City, Liverpool were able to grind out a hard-fought success.<\/p>\n
Florian Wirtz provided the bulk of Liverpool\u2019s most menacing moments.<\/p>\n
Wirtz\u2019s deflected shot trickled narrowly wide before his long-range blast forced a fine save from Robin Roefs.<\/p>\n
The German playmaker went even closer with a low drive that flashed through a sea of Sunderland legs before cannoning back off the far post.<\/p>\n
Roefs denied Wirtz again, spreading himself to block a header at point-blank range.<\/p>\n
Sunderland appealed in vain for a penalty when Ibrahima Konate hauled down Brian Brobbey on the stroke of half-time.<\/p>\n
The Black Cats went close through Trai Hume, who drilled just over from 25 yards soon after the interval.<\/p>\n
But Liverpool responded well and Mohamed Salah\u2019s goal-bound shot was blocked by Sunderland\u2019s Reinildo Mandava before Van Dijk netted in the 61st minute.<\/p>\n
Van Dijk met Salah\u2019s corner with a powerful header that Sunderland\u2019s Habib Diarra nodded into the roof of the net in a failed attempt to clear off the line.<\/p>\n
With Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong injured and Dominik Szoboszlai suspended, Slot was forced to use Japan midfielder Wataru Endo at right-back in his first league start this term.<\/p>\n
But Endo was stretchered off in the second half as Liverpool\u2019s injury woes mounted.<\/p>\n
Slot\u2019s side coped with that blow well enough, holding Sunderland at bay to secure a valuable victory.<\/p>\n
Vanguard News
\nThe post Van Dijk header sinks Sunderland to boost Liverpool\u2019s bid for UCL appeared first on Vanguard News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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