Arne Slot wants Liverpool to find some consistency after they edged closer to the top four with a 1-0 win at Sunderland.

Following a disappointing defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, the Reds responded with a hard-fought victory which ended the Black Cats’ unbeaten run of 12 Premier League games at the Stadium of Light this season.

Florian Wirtz put the post in the first half, but Liverpool eventually struck after the break when Mohamed Salah’s corner was flicked on by Virgil van Dijk, with the ball bouncing off Habib Diarra’s head and in at the back post.

The win moves Liverpool three points away from the top four and two points behind fifth-placed Chelsea, but Slot was pleased to see his side capitalise from a set-piece goal as they target the Champions League spots.

He said: “We’ve shown that response so many times already this season. Now it’s about the consistency and the results.

“It’s not a coincidence that we win here tonight or that we won our games because we’re usually the better team on the pitch.

“It’s more surprising to see that from all the times we were the better team we didn’t make wins, but actually today you could see the reason why.

“If you create so many chances and also moments where we could have four versus three situations, three versus two situations, and that should with the quality we have – and that will by the way – leads to us scoring more goals.

“In the end we needed a set piece to score and we usually have against these teams set pieces, but we usually, people at Liverpool will tell you, don’t score from a set piece.

“Tonight we did and that’s the biggest difference between Burnley at home, I can come up with Leeds away, Leeds at home, all these games where we’ve dropped points.”

The Liverpool boss also revealed he is expecting Wataru Endo to be sidelined for a period of time after the full-back was carried off on a stretcher during the second half following an awkward landing, with Joe Gomez coming on to replace him.

Speaking about the injury, Slot said: “It is a serious one. How serious we don’t know yet because then of course he has to be assessed tomorrow, but it doesn’t look good.

“It’s his foot, but if it’s his ankle or his foot that is what we have to assess tomorrow, but I assume that he will be out for a long time. What is long, that is difficult to say this moment.”

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris believes small margins defined the game as they drop to 11th in the table.

Despite a solid defensive effort throughout, the Black Cats endured their eighth league loss of the campaign.

Le Bris said: “They were good, mature, smart, agile. Many good players with experience.

“The first half was a bit tough because we didn’t find the right position to be close to duel them. We sat, we wasted a bit of energy during this part and with the ball it was difficult.

“We tried, it was a bit better during the second half, but they scored on set pieces. Small margins defined this kind of game.”

Under the partnership, Google Gemini has been named the Official AI Fan Companion, while Google Pixel will serve as the Official Smartphone of the tournament. The collaboration is aimed at expanding digital touchpoints across the fan journey, from content discovery and interactive experiences to in-stadium engagement.

“This partnership brings together two global organisations united by consumer focus, scale, purpose and innovation,” ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said in a media release. “Google’s leadership in connection, search and discovery and artificial intelligence aligns strongly with the ICC’s ambition to serve fans better. Together, we will use technology to deepen engagement, enhance experiences and make cricket more accessible and meaningful for fans worldwide.”

“We are bringing together Gemini’s generative capabilities and Pixel’s advanced imaging to deliver features that empower fans with new avenues for creativity and celebration,” said Shekar Khosla, vice-president of marketing at Google India. “We are excited to see how these innovations help a new generation of digital-first fans engage with the sport.”

Interactive features and content tools

The partnership has been launched with an interactive campaign titled Craziest Fan Kaun, which allows users to create personalised avatars using Gemini’s image-generation capabilities. Selected participants will receive an in-stadium experience at a World Cup match, wearing artificial intelligence-designed looks created through the platform.

Beyond campaigns, Gemini will be integrated into the fan experience through a dedicated “Explore Cricket” section within the application. The feature will offer interactive tools such as simplified explanations of complex rules, quizzes, player-guessing games and creative challenges related to cricket formats, with content updated weekly.

Pixel’s role in match coverage

As the Official Smartphone, Google Pixel will be used to capture high-quality visuals from within stadiums, leveraging advanced camera and video capabilities. The content will be distributed across digital platforms to provide additional perspectives of match action.

The ICC said the features announced so far represent the initial phase of the partnership, with additional artificial intelligence-driven tools to be introduced closer to the tournament. The collaboration reflects a broader trend in global sports, where governing bodies and technology firms are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence to reshape fan engagement and digital strategy.

Hubert Davis brushed off concerns about Caleb Wilson’s injury scare during UNC’s road loss to the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday. The forward appeared to have suffered an injury to his left hand early in the second half, forcing him to leave the game.

He was attended to by the Tar Heels staff before he went into the locker room. However, he reentered the game with 8:47 minutes left on the clock. When Davis was asked after the game about the freshman’s situation, the coach retorted with a four-word response. He said:

“There was no situation.”

The coach was further asked whether the injury affected Wilson’s performance. He added:

“Not to my knowledge.”

Wilson turned out the worst scoring tally of his freshman season so far in the loss, with 12 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Ironically, the Tar Heels’ previous game against Duke saw Wilson deliver one of his best performances of the season so far. He played all 40 minutes against the Blue Devils, scoring 23 points.

Wilson has averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds so far this season. He is considered a potential top five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, his primary focus for now will be bouncing back from his disappointing outing against Miami with a win in the next game.

The Tar Heels’ loss against Miami has been blamed on the hangover from the win against Duke, but Hubert Davis has brushed off such claims. The coach said during the post-game interview:

“I respectfully disagree with the hangover thing. I don’t believe in that.”

What Hubert Davis’ reaction to Caleb Wilson’s injury concerns mean for UNC

Hubert Davis’ dismissal of the injury concerns about Caleb Wilson seems reasonable in light of the forward’s return to the game on Tuesday. Tar Heels fans can heave a sigh of relief, as it would appear they have nothing to worry about concerning the star. However, his performance when UNC hosts Pitt on Saturday will further convince the fans or raise their concerns.

The Tar Heels (19-5) have a pretty tight schedule as the regular season draws closer to a conclusion. Their next game after hosting Pitt on Saturday will see them visit rival NC State next Tuesday. They face Syracuse next before games against Louisville, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Duke.

Davis is still in search of his first national title as UNC’s head coach.