Liverpool Edge Sunderland in Premier League Battle at Stadium of Light

Liverpool ground out a 1-0 win over Sunderland in the Premier League, and if it felt uncomfortable at times, that was because it was. On the latest Late Night Live from Anfield Index, Jack McIndoe and Lola Katz Roberts dissected a performance that delivered three points but raised familiar questions.

As Jack admitted at the start, “Liverpool have won a game of football away from home. I don’t know how to react.” That sense of relief framed the whole discussion. Sunderland were unbeaten at home, physical, organised and awkward. Liverpool had to fight.

Endo and Konaté Set Physical Tone

Lola Katz Roberts did not hesitate when naming her standout performer. “It genuinely would have been Wataru Endo if he hadn’t come off. I just thought he was magnificent.”

She painted the picture of the night. “It looked grey as anything. Horrible, rain pissing down, wind blowing around the stadium. And I was just thinking, God, this is not a night for how we’ve played this season. And then Endo shows up.”

Her verdict was simple and direct. “He just grafts, like grafts his bollocks off, wins every tackle.” Even allowing for exaggeration, the point was clear. “It felt like he got his head on everything and won everything and just was willing to play the game on Sunderland’s terms and was willing to win the physical fight.”

If Endo set the tone, Ibrahima Konaté sustained it. Lola was emphatic. “He was excellent against Manchester City on Sunday and he was excellent tonight and really relished that physical battle.” She added that Konaté “just rose to the challenge” and highlighted how he thrives in contact against powerful forwards.

Against a Sunderland side that had troubled Arsenal earlier in the season, Liverpool’s centre backs stood firm. In the Premier League, especially away from home, that matters.

Wastefulness Frustrates in Front of Goal

Yet for all the defensive resolve, the attacking play drew criticism. Liverpool dominated large stretches, created chances, but did not convert enough of them.

Reflecting on the first half, Lola said, “I came off at half time feeling frustrated.” Despite territorial control and opportunities, the expected goals tally did not translate into a lead.

Her broader concern cut deeper. “I don’t really feel like Liverpool took their chances.” That theme carried into the second half. “My big frustration is that Liverpool didn’t put the game to bed.”

Florian Wirtz caught the eye. Lola felt he was central to Liverpool’s best moments. “In the first half, he’s the one that picked up the tempo and became a problem that Sunderland just couldn’t live with.” But even there, she saw room for improvement. After one chance, she admitted, “I thought actually he had more time.”

The issues were not confined to one player. “Sometimes I feel like you get the four of those guys playing as individuals,” she said of the forward line. “It’s just missing that final moment.”

On Mohamed Salah, her assessment was stark. “It’s hard to watch him at times this season because I keep watching him thinking, you know, last season he’d pick up the ball… and you’d be sitting there being like, I know something’s going to happen. Then it just gets blocked every time this season.”

For a Liverpool side chasing consistency in the Premier League, those margins are decisive.

Defensive Structure Holds Firm

If the attack spluttered, the back line earned praise. Lola singled out Andy Robertson. “Andy Robbo needs a shout-out because he was fantastic tonight.”

She also noted how structure and trust made a difference. “There was a trust there and a security. And I think that spread across the whole back line and was a massive part of why we were able to restrict them to quite limited chances of high quality.”

In a hostile environment at Sunderland, that composure was essential. Liverpool limited the hosts to few meaningful efforts on target, even if the atmosphere and late pressure created nerves.

Curtis Jones also changed the rhythm when introduced. Lola described him as “just slowing the game down” and praised his composure on the ball. “The players around Curtis Jones… they know what to expect from him and they seem really reassured by his presence.”

Those details matter across a long Premier League season. Game management can be the difference between a draw and a win.

Premier League Context and What Comes Next

Liverpool’s win at Sunderland was, as Lola put it, a “big, big win.” With rivals dropping points, the table tightened again. In the Premier League, momentum shifts quickly.

Still, she refused to be carried away. “I don’t want to sound overly negative because I think the biggest frustration all season long has been how much more we know that that can come from this group of players.”

That line sums up the mood. Relief, yes. Satisfaction, partially. Fulfilment, not quite.

Liverpool did what they had to do at the Stadium of Light. They matched Sunderland’s physicality, relied on Endo and Konaté, and found a way through. But as the Late Night Live discussion on Anfield Index made clear, there is more required if this season is to be defined by success in the Premier League rather than what might have been.

Three points secured. Questions remain. That is the story of Liverpool’s night on Wearside.