Sunderland 0 – 1 Liverpool

Premier League Man of the Match

Florian Wirtz – Liverpool FC

There are games where dominance flows into comfort, and then there are afternoons like this — where control produces anxiety, territory becomes tension, and superiority must be protected rather than celebrated.

Liverpool scraped through at the Stadium of Light. Make no mistake about that. This was not a statement performance. It was a survival exercise dressed up as control.

And at the heart of everything remotely inventive stood Florian Wirtz.

In a first half that saw Liverpool monopolise possession and pin Sunderland deep inside their own half, it was the German who elevated the play beyond sterile circulation. Signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, Wirtz continues to look like the one attacker capable of bending rigid defensive structures with subtlety rather than force.

His movement between the lines was intelligent and persistent. His touch, as ever, was silk against steel. Twice he came close to producing the breakthrough his side’s territorial dominance deserved. One rasping drive was brilliantly beaten away by the Sunderland goalkeeper to his right. Another thundered against the upright to his left — a reminder that fine margins are often all that separate comfort from chaos.

Yet the game did not unfold comfortably.

Fantastic win. Very spirited performance. Big three points/

Wirtz MOTM, but Konate close behind.

— Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) February 11, 2026

The second half brought anxiety rather than authority. Sunderland, sensing the champions’ fragility, grew braver. Liverpool’s control of space became reactive rather than proactive. Lines dropped. Distances stretched. The game narrowed.

Through it all, Wirtz remained on the periphery of promise. Every meaningful attacking pattern still funnelled through him. Every moment of craft originated from his awareness and willingness to receive under pressure. Even as Liverpool retreated into preservation mode, the Bundesliga star remained the clearest conduit between defence and danger.

That said, this victory was not built solely on artistry.

Ibrahima Konaté was outstanding. Commanding, combative, and fully alert to Sunderland’s attempts to counter with speed, the French defender ensured rare transitions were extinguished before they could ignite. His recovery runs were sharp, his duels authoritative. On a day where control felt fragile, he supplied the steel.

Alongside him, Virgil van Dijk was as vocal and commanding as ever. The captain organised a backline that should have been stepping forward but instead found itself inching backwards as the match wore on. His leadership steadied the nerves. His timing delivered the goal.

It was Van Dijk’s towering header from a superb Mohamed Salah corner that ultimately decided the contest — a reminder that when fluency fades, set pieces often rescue the day.

And rescue was required.

Liverpool did not impose itself in the closing stages. They endured. The ball was cleared rather than progressed. Possession was protected rather than expanded. This was far from vintage.

But in a season defined by scrutiny, three points on Wearside may matter more than aesthetics.

Florian Wirtz was the class within the chaos — the calm amid the creeping doubt. Liverpool scraped through, and their most elegant technician ensured there was at least one thread of quality woven into a nervy afternoon.

Steven Smith’s Pre-match Prediction:

Sunderland 1 – 2 Liverpool