Van Dijk hails “great win” as Liverpool become first to beat Sunderland

Liverpool left Sunderland with three points, a clean sheet, and a rare feeling of control on the road, and Virgil van Dijk was clear afterwards that it was a night worth banking rather than over-celebrating.

The 33-year-old scored the only goal of the game with a second-half header from a Mo Salah corner, to seal a 1-0 Premier League win at the Stadium of Light.

It was also the first league defeat Sunderland had suffered at home this season, which underlined the difficulty of the job Arne Slot’s side went there to do.