Virgil van Dijk shows true colors with question straight after final whistle vs Sunderland

Virgil van Dijk scored the decisive goal against Sunderland as Liverpool picked up a vital three points in the race for Champions League football next season

Virgil van Dijk was excellent for Liverpool against Sunderland

Virgil van Dijk was eager to ensure he was awarded the winning goal against Sunderland as Liverpool boosted its top four hopes.

The Reds skipper struck the decisive moment at the Stadium of Light as he leapt highest to make contact with Mohamed Salah's corner. Van Dijk's effort was on target before deflecting off Habib Diarra and finding the net.

The goal was given to Van Dijk by the Premier League but the Dutchman was quick to find out if it had gone down as his, when he spoke to the media immediately after the final whistle in the tunnel.

TNT reporter Jules Breach revealed Van Dijk asked her 'Was it an own goal or was it mine?' before the Dutchman added: "It was going on target surely!"

On the vital victory, the Liverpool talisman added: "It was a great win. It was hard work on a very difficult pitch but we are very pleased with the three points.

"To come here and play like we did, we deserved the three points. Sunderland has shown how difficult it is to beat them. They deserve a lot of credit. For us to win, and keep a clean sheet, it is a good night for us.

"Ibou was outstanding. Macca in front, everyone put a shift in. I am proud of the guys. They worked so hard for this today and it is great to see."

The win keeps Liverpool in sixth in the Premier League but closes the gap on Chelsea and Manchester United, who were both held to draws on Tuesday night.

And Van Dijk refused to hide the importance of the win but maintains there is a long way to go as his side looks to finish inside the Champions League places.

He added: "It feels very big but there is still 12 more games to go. We have to try to keep improving and find consistency. We did well against City apart from the last 10 minutes so we have to keep building and stay confident.

"Today was a great step forward so now it is about recovering and being ready for Brighton."

Teammate Florian Wirtz looked ahead to that FA Cup game as he spoke to TNT Sports afterwards. He added: "The club deserves to win trophies. As players, we always want to win something. There is an opportunity to go a step closer this weekend and we want to take that."