Liverpool’s Champions League hopes were given a boost with a 1-0 win over Sunderland in midweek.
Manchester United and Chelsea dropped points in their matches, giving the Reds a great chance to gain some ground when they travelled to the North East.
When all was said and done, Liverpool beat Sunderland 1-0 thanks to a Virgil van Dijk goal.
Who was Liverpool’s best player in the excellent win over Sunderland, and why?
What a win!
Prior to the midweek action, there was talk about Arne Slot being sacked if the Merseyside outfit did not get Champions League football.
But the victory over Sunderland has given them a good chance of turning things around.
Liverpool’s Champions League chances improve after Sunderland
Tim Sherwood thinks Liverpool will finish 5th, which could be enough for top-tier European football if the Premier League rank high enough in UEFA’s coefficient (they were given five places for 2025/26).
Now, Opta have updated their predicted Premier League table following February 11’s games ending.
Liverpool are predicted to finish fifth, with Chelsea taking fourth ahead of Manchester United.
As for Champions League football next term, the Reds are given a 33.04% chance of qualifying versus 36.77% for the Blues and 29.94% for Utd.
Change my mind: Liverpool would be CRAZY to let Konate leave 😣
He is back to his best!
Virgil van Dijk comments on Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League
After scoring the winner against the Black Cats, Van Dijk gave his thoughts on Liverpool’s hunt for a top-four/five finish.
He said: “We can’t deny that it feels very big [the Sunderland win], but there are still 12 games to go. So we have to keep improving and trying to find consistency.
“We have to try to stay fit and stay confident and keep improving. Recover and we play Saturday at 8pm against Brighton. Which is a difficult team to beat.”
The Brighton and Hove Albion meeting is an FA Cup clash, so it obviously has no impact on the Champions League.
Liverpool then return to league action on February 22 against a struggling Nottingham Forest.
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