How the Reds stayed in the hunt for a top 5 league finish

Liverpool's chances of Champions League qualification looked bleak around the hour mark of Tuesday's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Leeds United.

Cole Palmer had just buried his third penalty in less than two games, giving the Blues a comfortable 2-0 lead at home and propelling them into fourth in the Premier League table, which looked like this:

4 - Chelsea 46 pts
5 - Manchester United 45 pts
6 - Everton 40 pts
7 - Liverpool 39 pts

Yes, even Everton had climbed above the Reds after taking a 1-0 lead over Bournemouth at home. In London, having kicked off 45 minutes later, Man United were knotted at zeroes with lowly West Ham. If United won and the other results held, which seemed more likely than not, Liverpool would find themselves seven points adrift of fifth place.

Worst of all, Liverpool's game in hand was Sunderland away. No one — not Arsenal, not City, not Villa — had claimed an away league victory at the Stadium of Light this season.

A sudden change in fortune

Then, like a multi-man hit from The Godfather or Breaking Bad, our challengers suffered setbacks. All of them, nearly all at once.

Hey Arne, the universe seemed to say. I took care of that thing for ya.

At Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton conceded the equalizer in the 61st. They went down a goal in the 64th. In the 69th, giant Toffees defender Jake O'Brien was sent off for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. It finished 1-2, Bournemouth.

At Stamford Bridge, 67th- and 73rd-minute Leeds goals negated Chelsea's domination and leveled the score at 2-2. Deep into stoppage time, Palmer treated us to a miss that would've made even Darwin Nunez wince. The game ended in a draw.

At London Stadium, Tomas Soucek handed the Hammers a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute. Though Benjamin Sesko would go on to bag a last-gasp equalizer in the 96th, United dropping two vital points to a relegation favorite was no small favor.

At the end of the day, the table looked like this.

4 - Manchester United 45 pts
5 - Chelsea 44 pts
6 - Liverpool 39 pts
7 - Brentford 39 pts
8 - Everton 37 pts

Liverpool had been granted an opportunity too good to pass up. An offer they couldn't refuse.

Righting the wrong trends

There were a hundred reasons Liverpool would still fail to win this game, aside from Sunderland's immaculate home form.

With Roefs in goal, Mukiele, Ballard and Alderete at the back, Diarra in the middle, and Brobbey up top, Sunderland's spine is the big, physical kind the Reds have struggled to compete with all year. Their blood-thirsty crowd can change a game's momentum in a millisecond. They keep it compact, block shots, go long, and score from set pieces and second balls — a collection of Liverpool's achilles heels.

Liverpool's first three options at right back were also out, including the performer of the season, Dom Szoboszlai. That meant Wataru Endo would fill the spot. Jones, Kerkez, Chiesa, and Gomez (barely back from injury) were the only true options off the bench. And on paper, the starting midfield of Gravenberch, Mac Allister, and Wirtz looked too physically lightweight for what promised to be a battle in the bad weather.

The Reds dealt with each of these hurdles in the most mature way possible. It started at the back.

With the exception of a few errant crosses from Endo, who was playing out of position after months of very little game time, Liverpool's entire back five was flawless for 90+ minutes. Robertson was back in the side and provided much-needed pressure and width. Endo jumped on loose balls and knitted play well.

Van Dijk and Konate turned in their best performance as a center back duo this season. They won their duels in the air and on the ground, and won them high so Liverpool could keep the ball in good areas and quiet the crowd. When Sunderland did threaten, Virgil and Ibou handled it with patient jockeying and blocked shots.

Konate, my MOTM, marked Brobbey out of the game singlehandedly. The Frenchman's first half of the season was defined by soft plays and dumb errors. He's back to his best now.

Macca and Gravenberch did not look as lightweight as I'd feared. In fact, the Argentinian competed as well physically as he has in weeks. Particularly in the first half, when Liverpool were most dominant in terms of ball possession and chances created, Wirtz was the most impressive player on the pitch. It wasn't just his two nearly-goals or his quality with the ball, but how many times he won it back. The German was everywhere.

Despite Liverpool's impressive opening 45, they didn't take any of their big chances. The front three didn't help; their individual and collective play was the only downside to this performance.

Mo Salah is a shadow of his former self. His pace has hit a new low. His new favorite move in the final third is crossing the ball directly into the nearest defender, and his new second favorite move is dribbling into the nearest defender. He has to play and he still has quality, but he looks bad at the moment.

Cody Gakpo isn't much better on the right. He needs to add a burst of pace and left-footed cross to his game, because all he has now is cutting inside on his right and seeing his shot or cross blocked.

Even Hugo Ekitike, who's been nothing short of outstanding, turned in a stinker, failing to impose himself and missing a point-blank header for the second straight game.

Thankfully, Liverpool overcame the key obstacles necessary to dig out a deserved result. Van Dijk's headed goal from the corner swung the set-piece balance in their favor, and a calm, mistake-free seven minutes of stoppage time prevented the last-second gut punch they've conceded six times this season — four winners and two equalizers.

Liverpool had to have this one, and earned it by defending resolutely and willing the ball into the net. Kudos to the team for doing what no other PL side has, making a solid Sunderland team look second best at home for a full game.