**Liverpool bounced back from their disappointing performance against Manchester City at Anfield with an away win over Sunderland on Wednesday evening.**
The Reds became the first team in the Premier League this season to win at the Stadium of Light, and capitalised on Manchester United dropping points against West Ham to inch closer to the top four.
First half
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Within two minutes, Sunderland did the main thing that has been lacking from Liverpool over the last year – counter pressing. Just by sheer effort, they forced Andy Robertson to lose the ball, providing Brian Brobbey with a goalscoring chance before offside brought a halt to the play.
Later in the first half, around the 18th minute of play, Ibrahima Konate made a huge block on Brobbey. He was so good at the start of the first half in interrupting Sunderland’s attackers.
That was until Konate was very, very lucky not to have a penalty awarded for a pull on Brobbey.
The striker hit the deck after being held by Konate but the ball was not played to the Sunderland forward and VAR deemed it unworthy of a spot kick. That being said, had the ball been played in Brobbey’s direction, it likely would have been awarded.
Wirtz hit the post with his weaker left foot in the 32nd minute after finding a pocket of space inside the Sunderland penalty area. In the first half, the German was very much the difference-maker in the final thirds.
He almost scored again in the 37th minute with a header, but Black Cats goalkeeper Robert Roefs effectively smothered him and the ball.
Second half
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Virgil van Dijk scored in the 60th minute to give Liverpool the advantage with a glancing header. Despite being goalbound, the goal went in via a deflection but it was a fantastic header by the skipper.
Wateru Endo was forced to leave the pitch in the 62nd minute after his studs got stuck in the turf, appearing to twist his ankle and knee quite nastily. Typical of the Japanese midfielder, he did his very best to stay on the field but was unable to do more than hobble around before play was stopped two minutes later.
The midfielder was stretchered off and Liverpool will now anxiously await results of the inevitable scans to come. Liverpool medical staff appeared to give Endo what the commentators referred to as a “green whistle” to help alleviate pain – a worrying sign of the severity of the injury.
Slot threw Gomez on to cover for the stand-in right back.
Ultimately, it serves as a worrying continuation to the injury woes the Reds have endured this season.
Mohamed Salah had a penalty claim rejected despite the fact that it denied a shot on target after hitting Enzo Le Fée’s hand. The 26-year-old turned away from Salah’s shot before it hit his hand and it was deemed unavoidable.
Seconds later, Liverpool had their own penalty scare, but Konate’s intervention on Brobbey (again) was actually a heroic last-ditch tackle from the Frenchman. Tonight was truly a showcase of the very best and very worst of Konate. Entertaining at least.
Salah was involved a lot more towards the end of the game compared to the rest of the match and almost scored in the 96th minute with a ferocious shot.