Arne Slot, the shrewd manager of Liverpool, did not hesitate to highlight what truly made the difference in his team’s hard-fought victory over Sunderland last Wednesday. The Reds, who battled fiercely to secure all three points, achieved a crucial win with a goal from Virgil van Dijk, who, in the 61st minute, capitalized on a corner from Mo Salah, putting the ball in the net in unstoppable fashion, leaving defender Habib Diarra powerless.
After the final whistle, Van Dijk did not hold back in praising the determination of his teammates, referring to the victory as a “great triumph” achieved through “a lot of hard work” on a “difficult pitch” and in torrential rain at the Estádio da Luz. His words reflect the struggle the team had to endure to secure the much-needed three points.
Slot, speaking to reporters, did not shy away from comparing this match to other challenges the team has faced this season. “In the end, we needed a set-piece to score, and we usually have about ten set-pieces against these teams, but normally – and anyone from Liverpool can confirm – we don’t manage to score from set-pieces,” the manager stated. “Tonight we did, and that is the biggest difference compared to the game against Burnley at home… I can give many examples; Leeds away, Leeds at home – all those games.”
Historically, set pieces have been a true Achilles’ heel for Liverpool this season. Aaron Briggs, the coach specialized in this area, left the club at the end of December, and Slot stated just two weeks ago that his team has been a “disaster” at set pieces. This discontent arose after the team conceded a last-minute goal from a throw-in against Bournemouth. However, Lewis Steele, in an article for the Daily Mail, highlighted that the situation has improved considerably.
Van Dijk’s goal against Sunderland was the eighth goal scored by Liverpool from set pieces in 2026, while only two goals have been conceded from set-piece situations, a welcome reversal of an alarming trend that had been evident before the start of the new year. This evolution is a positive sign for the team, which demonstrated defensive solidity in Wearside that has been lacking at many points during this disappointing season.
However, Slot did not fail to express his dissatisfaction with the number of clear chances his team squandered during the match, a situation that could have proven costly were it not for the captain’s intervention. The result against Sunderland may not have been a grand spectacle, but the performance was a testament to the fighting qualities that could be crucial in the pursuit of qualification for the Champions League in the final stretch of the season.
Next, fans can watch Slot’s full press conference after the match on the Empire of the Kop channel on YouTube.
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