Van Dijk secures win at Sunderland but Liverpool dealt fresh injury blow

Sunderland are a danger, a threat and they have maintained their early season momentum, especially in front of a home crowd that bays for blood on nights like these.

The first time Liverpool tried to play out from the back, Andrew Robertson’s clearance was blocked, the roar from the stands was louder than some celebrate a goal.

Sunderland would look to be direct and they try to exploit set pieces in the final third. A simple enough approach that has served them so well.

In Brian Brobbey they have a battering ram of a centre-forward, strong, quick and with rugby player’s love of contact in open field. There is finesse in this Sunderland side, but he is the power up top, chasing every long ball, holding it up and holding off whichever centre back came with him.

Liverpool had to be resolute. They could not allow themselves to be bullied; kicked and knocked out of their stride. They had to earn the right to play their own game by containing Sunderland playing theirs.

It led to a game of few chances in the first half, Wirtz forcing the first save of the match after half hour, a shot from the edge of the area tipped away for a corner by Robin Roefs.

Liverpool though looked composed and began to take control with their quick, short passing stretching Sunderland’s defence and creating little pockets of space. Wirtz was really unlucky to see a shot, set up by a superb first touch to create the angle, hit the post before Roefs made an excellent save to prevent his header looping into the net.