Regis Le Bris makes 'smart' Liverpool admission as Sunderland unbeaten run ends

Liverpool beat Sunderland in the Premier League thanks to a Virgil van Dijk goal to nil at the Stadium of Light, with Regis Le Bris' unbeaten home run coming to an end

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris.(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)

Liverpool became the first team to beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League this season, with Virgil van Dijk heading home a second-half winner.

After a first half in which the creative spark of Florian Wirtz came to the fore, it was a set-piece that decided the game. In what has felt like a rarity for Liverpool this season, it was a dead-ball situation that benefited rather than harmed the Reds.

"Obviously, they are a good team, and they played well," Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris told BBC Match of the Day. "We struggled a bit in the first half to find the right distance against smart, agile players who are comfortable on the ball.

"I think we wasted a bit of energy at that time. We tried to be competitive, but the second half was better. We were more located on the pitch, and we had our opportunities, but small margins define this kind of game.

"In the final third, they were good — the team spirit was excellent, once again. It is a question of details, but details make the difference.

"When you chase the game, it is not the easiest pitch because you have to be clean, recomposed with the ball, and those small margins in the final third you can change the dynamic of the game.

Virgil van Dijk heads in Liverpool's winner at Sunderland to bolster the club's Champions League qualification hopes(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

"Now, we want to win points, and the motivation of the squad is excellent. We have to be resilient. It is part of our journey."

Sunderland remains in touch with the European places despite the defeat. Anything more than avoiding relegation would have been acceptable when the season began.

That is far from the case for Liverpool, though, with the Reds needing to use this victory as a springboard for something more.

And after Manchester United and Chelsea dropped points earlier in the week, they were able to take advantage.

"Very important," Arne Slot said. "I think we dug deep after only two days of rest. Then going to a difficult away game.

"We showed again how well we can play on the ball. We created so many opportunities today. The character we have shown throughout the whole game was very good and that is why we leave this place with a 1-0 win.

"Second half, we had so many good moments and so many moments where we had quality players in promising positions. The overall performance in terms of work rate was really good."