Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool: Virgil van Dijk sets Premier League record for Reds as Champions League hopes reignited

Virgil van Dijk's goal for Liverpool against Sunderland saw him become the highest scoring defender for the club in Premier League history.

Boss Arne Slot earned much needed relief on Wednesday, when his side emerged as 1-0 winners at the Stadium of Light, leaving the team in sixth place with 42 points.

The club are now just two points behind fifth-placed Chelsea and three from fourth-placed Manchester United with 12 games to go.

Liverpool supporters will be thankful that Van Dijk's header in the 61st minute helped keep the team in the race for Champions League football.

That was the centre-back's 23rd goal in the Premier League for Liverpool, surpassing the tally Sami Hyypia managed, and making the captain the highest scoring defender for the Reds in the competition's history.

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Can Liverpool finish ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United?

The Reds have only won seven of their past 21 Premier League games, and while their triumph on Wednesday was impressive, it would be foolish to read too much into their performance.

Slot will have to prove that he can consistently get the best out of his current group of players, though his side do have a favourable fixture list in the league, with the club set to face four of the current bottom five in their next four top-flight matches.

The Merseysiders are still in the FA Cup and Champions League, and there is a risk that progressing deep in both tournaments could impact their ability to be at their sharpest in the Premier League.

Liverpool may face the prospect of having to prioritise competitions in the coming months, especially with their squad struggling with an injury crisis.

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Will Liverpool qualify for the Champions League?

United's biggest advantage in the race for top four is the fact they only have the Premier League to focus on given they have no European football, and have also been eliminated from the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

Chelsea will also have to participate in the same competitions as Liverpool, though it remains to be seen how well Liam Rosenior can guide an inexperienced and youthful squad through the remaining months of the campaign.

The race for top five is likely to go down to the wire, and it could ultimately be decided by Liverpool's clashes against Chelsea and United in April.