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
29 mins: Dimitri Payet is shown a yellow card by Mike Dean for dissent and many West Ham fans are ready to explode with fury.
35 mins: How have Manchester United not taken the lead?! The opening goal appeared an absolute formality when the ball was squared across an open six-yard box, more so when Antonio Valencia arrived at the far post to slot home. The right back's connection was true, but somehow Darren Randolph manoeuvred a hand to palm out with the ball four-fifths of the way over the line. Not to worry, the rebound fell to the feet of Jesse Lingard less than four yards out, but the midfielder somehow struck the post. An incredible sequence of events and the game remains goalless!
43 mins: Matteo Darmian goes into Mike Dean's notebook of shame for a challenge on Michail Antonio that hardly warranted a foul. It at least brings some momentary relief for the beleaguered referee from the home fans. "He's in that muddled state," reveals Gary Neville of the match official.
45 mins: A man short, but West Ham finish the first half with an attack of their own - and one that sees Manuel Lanzini going for goal. For the second time tonight, David de Gea is equal to the Argentine's effort with a save that brings the home side a corner.
Two minutes of stoppage time are signalled as an unhappy Jose Mourinho sends substitutes Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini out to warm up.
SECOND HALF KICK-OFF: We expected Jose Mourinho to make changes for the start of the second half, but it's just the one for now. Crying out for more creativity in the first half, the United boss has introduced Juan Mata, sacrificing a defender, Matteo Darmian, in the process. If United are to break down the ten men of West Ham, they'll need to show more in the next 45 minutes.
50 mins: A challenge from Cheikhou Kouyate stops Henrikh Mkhitaryan in his tracks but the awarding of a free-kick to United naturally has the West Ham fans in a fury. They're not the only ones. Gary Neville is convinced the challenge that warrants the punishment handed out to Feghouli earlier in the game. The midfielder got a foot on the ball, but only after going over its top studs up and brushing the leg of the Armenian. The United player is lucky to have come away from that unscathed.
53 mins: Another chance for West Ham comes...and goes! The Hammers won't have too many more of these so if they are to smash and grab a victory, they need to make one counter. Michail Antonio was highest to Dimitri Payet's curling set-piece, but his header was to drop wide.
58 mins: Another change for the visitors who are still in need of urgency and ideas. Perhaps Marcus Rashford can supply something . He's on for Jesse Lingard.
60 mins: Michail Antonio must score! Michail Antonio doesn't score! The Manchester United defence made a complete mess of the most simple acts starting when Marcos Rojo needlessly gave away possession in his own half. Failing to regroup into any kind of shape, Lanzini took advantage of sloppiness in the visitors' backline to slip a pass through that left Antonio one-on-one with David de Gea. The West Ham forward took the shot on early, but neither had the pace or placement to get it past the United keeper. A huge moment.
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