Maybe it was by no means going to final ceaselessly.
Possibly there was at all times going to return a time when Sunderland’s frankly astonishing residence league file for 2025/2026 — that of remaining unbeaten towards all guests to the Stadium of Gentle — would finish, and as a Liverpool aspect probably smarting from the style of their late and admittedly loopy defeat to Manchester Metropolis headed again right down to Merseyside with a victory that will present Arne Slot with some much-needed respiration room, did any of us actually know really feel?
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Shocked? Possibly not. In any case, regardless of a mess of troubles regarding accidents and inconsistent type, that is an distinctive Liverpool aspect who stay a formidable opponent on any given day.
Saddened? Not essentially.
These Sunderland gamers have labored so laborious to protect one of many proudest information in our latest historical past, and it might appear harsh to be overly crucial.
In that case, why not accept “barely deflated” as an outline of how we would’ve felt as a rain-lashed evening ended with the sight of match-winner Virgil Van Dijk saluting the travelling Reds followers and Sunderland’s gamers pressured to take care of one thing they’ve not but needed to confront: that of shedding a league sport in entrance of their very own followers for the primary time this season.
Will they reply strongly? You’d should assume so.
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These lads aren’t right here to mess about and though the fortress lastly being breached could also be robust to simply accept, Régis Le Bris and his males have by no means shied away from a problem and the way we take care of this setback is bound to be fascinating. The requirements have already been set and permitting them to slide now merely isn’t an possibility, even within the absence of Granit Xhaka.
The Lads didn’t play significantly badly on Wednesday evening.
There was additionally no lack of effort and I can’t be crucial of their angle, however when up towards the guile of Florian Wirtz, the canny motion and nous of Hugo Ektiké and the imposing defensive partnership of van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Sunderland’s incapability to play the killer go or discover a second of particular person inspiration in the end proved their undoing — and van Dijk’s winner within the form of a free header from a nook was a suitably sloppy means for the sport to be determined.
Flashes of promise got here within the form of a energetic efficiency from Nilson Angulo (a basic “thrilling winger strikes from one other league and takes time to regulate”-style introduction to Wearside) and Dan Ballard usually seemed to be on a one-man quest to maintain the guests at bay as he sought out inexperienced shirts and liver birds like a person possessed, however collectively, the Lads have been wanting their greatest and also you do ponder whether we merely confirmed the guests a tad an excessive amount of respect versus actually opting to take the sport to Slot’s merry males.
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On the face of it, losses by the hands of final season’s champions and the aspect that many have tipped to imagine their crown is under no circumstances a catastrophe, however given the fluid nature of the league desk, the congestion across the center part and the ever-shifting dynamics of prime flight soccer, it’s objectively true that Sunderland nonetheless have slightly bit of labor to do in an effort to keep away from any nervy moments down the stretch in the direction of the ending line — and no person needs to be castigated for highlighting it.
Saturday’s FA Cup conflict with Oxford now feels prefer it might be a “play the perimeter gamers and get minutes into their legs” affair (we should always nonetheless have sufficient to see them off, nevertheless) after which it’s again to the league and a winnable conflict with Fulham in the direction of the again finish of February — one other superb probability to take an enormous stride in the direction of security.
For now, we should always rightly salute an environment friendly away efficiency by the champions, permit ourselves a while to mirror on a difficult two video games, and be sure that we don’t begin to lose religion.
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It’s been a tough week and the gamers could also be feeling jaded, however they’ve performed some excellent issues so far and by the point we run out on the Kassam on Saturday, they need to be prepared to start out a brand new chapter — with the FA Cup probably offering a perfect break from the rigours of the league.
Premier League
11/02/2026
Stadium of Gentle
Sunderland: 0
Liverpool: 1 (van Dijk 61’)
Sunderland: Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard; Alderete (Geertruida 80’), Reinildo, Hume (Talbi 80’); Sadiki, Diarra (Isidor 92’), Le Fée; Angulo (Mundle 80’), Brobbey
Subs Not Used: Ellborg, Cirkin, O’Nien, Rigg, Mayenda
Liverpool: Alisson, Endo (Gomez 69’), Van Dijk; Konate, Mac Allister, Gravenberch;Wirtz, Gakpo (Jones 75’), Salah; Ekitiké (Chiesa 88’)
Subs Not Used: Marmadashvili, Kerkez, Morrison, Ngumoha, Nyoni, Ramsay