Sunderland vs Liverpool live: Latest score and updates after Jermain Defoe's penalty equaliser
A look ahead to the Premier League fixture at the Stadium of Light
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool can close the gap on league leaders Chelsea with victory over struggling Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Jurgen Klopp’s side appear to be the main challengers to Antonio Conte’s west London juggernaut and can go to within six points of the pacesetters on Monday.
Sunderland were woeful in their 4-1 defeat to Burnley on Saturday and increasingly seem doomed to life in the Championship next season.
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It’s a big game for…
Simon Mignolet: The Liverpool shot-stopper has been the subject of some criticism this season and will hope to silence his critics when he returns to the Stadium of Light.
Despite letting that Jon Walters header beat him at his near post against Stoke, the Belgian kept a clean sheet in the big match against Manchester City on New Year’s Eve.
Best stat…
9: Liverpool are unbeaten against Sunderland in nine games with the last time the Black Cats coming out on top being a 1-0 win in 2012.
Remember when…
Darren Bent scored the winner in a 1-0 win against Liverpool after getting a big hand by a very unusual object – a beachball.
The ball was thrown on to the pitch by a fan and diverted Bent’s shot past the helpless Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.
Prediction
Player to watch…
Adam Lallana: The attacking-midfielder looks invigorated this season, after taking him some while to settle on Merseyside.
Lallana is Liverpool’s second top goalscorer in the league this season, bagging seven goals but he’s also managed to rack up seven assists too, making him a pivotal member of this Liverpool side. Sunderland will have to prioritise keeping him quite to try to quell the visitors’ attacks.
Past three meetings…
Liverpool 2 (Origi, Milner) Sunderland 0
Premier League, November 2016
Liverpool 2 (Firmino, Lallana) Sunderland 2 (Johnson, Defoe)
Premier League, February 2016
Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 (Benteke)
Premier League, December 2015
Form guide…
Sunderland: WLLWLL
Liverpool: LDWWWW
Vital information…
Kick-off time: 15:00
TV: Highlights on Match of the Day, BBC One, Monday 2 January 10.30pm
Odds…
Sunderland to win: 9/1
Liverpool to win: 7/20
Draw: 9/2
70 mins: GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2 BURNLEY 1:
Game over at the Etihad? Perhaps not. The deficit has been halved after an almighty scramble inside the Manchester City penalty area has been turned in by Ben Mee.
72 mins: GOAL! SUNDERLAND 1 LIVERPOOL 2:
Liverpool restore their lead courtesy of Sadio Mane! The Reds are giving it some West Brom in the north-east, bagging their second of the afternoon from another corner. James Milner's delivery was flicked on by a Sunderland head at the near post, and Mane - standing in an offside position - was all to happy to slam home unmarked.
73 mins: GOAL! WEST BROM 3 HULL 1:
After playing so well in the opening 45 minutes, Hull City are heading for another defeat. Salomon Rondon flicked on Hal Robson-Kanu's cross from the right and the ball fell nicely for James Morrison to volley home at the far post.
81 mins: PENALTY! GOAL! EVERTON 2 SOUTHAMPTON 0:
Everton points in the bag! Leighton Baines makes sure of an Everton victory by slamming home from 12 yards after Enner Valencia had been felled by Maya Yoshida in the penalty box.
84 mins: PENALTY! GOAL! SUNDERLAND 2 LIVERPOOL 2:
Another pressure penalty from Jermain Defoe and Sunderland are level once again! The veteran goal machine went for the same corner, and gave Simon Mignolet no chance to set up a grandstand finish at the Stadium of Light.
The spotkick was awarded after Sadio Mane was adjudged to have handled in the wall after Sebastian Larsson had lined up a free-kick from 20 yards out.
89 mins: GOAL! EVERTON 3 SOUTHAMPTON 0:
A brilliant finish from Romelu Lukaku puts the icing on the Toffees cakes! The two previous goalscorers combined as Leighton Baines won back possession and fed Enner Valencia. The striker played in youngster Tom Davies and he found Lukaku to slam past Fraser Forster.
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