Full time: Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool
Peeep! Peep! Peeep! Despite the best attempts of Vito Mannone, who raced up for the corner, Liverpool take all three points and go seventh in the table courtesy of Christian Benteke’s goal 23 seconds into the second half. For Sunderland, it’s a fifth straight defeat and they remain deep in the doo-doo, with just Aston Villa behind them in the table. You couldn’t fault them for effort against a Liverpool side that didn’t play particularly well, with all available evidence suggesting that they’re just not good enough to stay in this division.
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90+4 min: We’re in the last of four recommended minutes of added time and the jig looks up for a Sunderland side who tried throughout, but were ultimately far too toothless to trouble Liverpool. They win a corner ....
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90+3 min: Liverpool substitution: Firmino makes way for Kolo Toure.
90+1 min: Liverpool counter and Christian Benteke is released into the Sunderland half, one-on-one with only Vito Mannone to beat. Rather than lift the ball over the keeper, he attempts to slot it past him and the keeper does well to save. Benteke should have done a hell of a lot better there.
89 min: In a field with few, if any stand-out contenders, Sky Sports co-comms man Niall Quinn gives Christian Benteke his man of the match award.
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87 min: Firmino tees up Jordan Ibe just inside the Sunderland penalty area and the substitute sends a shot high over the bar when scoring looked easier.
84 min: Jeremain Lens is summoned to one side by referee Kevin Friend after upending Mamadou Sakho with a studs-up tackle inside the Liverpool penalty area as he attmpted to chase down the ball. He gets a yellow card for his troubles and could perhaps consider himself lucky not to have seen red. In his mitigation, he did appear to pull out of the challenge and it looked more shin on shin, rather than studs on shin. I say that without the benefit of a replay, mind.
83 min: Sunderland embark on a slick, promising looking counter-attack that comes to an abrupt end when Jeremain Lens slips while attempting to control the ball on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area. That’s a shame, they strung a few nice passes together during that little sortie into Liverpool territory.
80 min: We’re into the final 10 minutes and Liverpool continue to lead through Christian Benteke’s goal. This has not been one of their better performances by any stretch of the imagination, but despite their best efforts, Sunderland continue to create little in the way of scoring opportunities. Liverpool substitution: Philippe Coutinho off, Jordan Ibe on.
78 min: In his attempt to clear a Sunderland corner. Firmino hacks the ball high into the night sky, only for it to go behind him and drop on the edge of the six yard box. There, Simon Mignolet is thwarted in his attempts to grab the ball, but Duncan Watmore’s volley goes wide.
76 min: Alberto Moreno gets booked after fouling Duncan Watmore, who’d tracked back to win the ball from Liverpool left-back.
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74 min: Can shoots over the bar after wonderful build-up play from Coutinho and Benteke, featuring a sublime back-heel from the Brazilian.
71 min: There’s another break in play as Seb Coates goes to ground holding his shin, before walking off the pitch. His race is run and he’ll be replaced by DeAndre Yedlin, who’s on loan at Sunderland from Spurs. Yedlin’s a right-back by trade, so he’ll probably slot in there, with Billy Jones moving to centre-back. Sebastian Coates will now join fellow centre-backs John O’Shea and Younes Kaboul among the lame and halt in the Sunderland treatment room.
69 min: Philippe Coutinho shapes to shoot with his right foot from the edge of the Sunderland penalty area, but has the ball taken off his toe by Billy Jones.
68 min: Crikey, the quality of play from both teams is fairly risible. It’s painfully scrappy fare, which will suit Liverpool just fine. Sunderland are battling hard, which is heartwarming to see, but they’re creating little or nothing in the way of scoring opportunities. On the touchline, Jurgen Klopp looks fairly frustrated.
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66 min: After a nice series of one-touch passes, Philippe Coutinho attempts to tee up Emre Can on the edge of the Sunderland penalty area, but his effort comes to naught as his team-mate runs down a blind alley.
66 min: Sunderland win a corner, which Patrick van Aanholt takes. He sends the ball into the mixer, but Liverpool clear.
64 min: Sunderland substitution: Adam Johnson off, Jeremain Lens off.
59 min: Sunderland have responded well to going a goal down and their fans roar their appreciation for their players’ efforts. Liverpool substitution: Having picked up a knock earlier, Jordan Henderson makes way for Lucas.
57 min: Sprinting towards the Liverpool penalty area, Fabio Borini is brought down by Emre Can, who reacts furiously to being penalised for his challenge. He gets yellow card, either for the foul or dissent in the wake of the foul, while Sunderland have a free-kick about 40 yards from the Liverpool goal. The ball’s floated into the Liverpool penalty area, where Mamadou Sakho heads clear.
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55 min: Free-kick for Sunderland, out by the touchline on the edge of the final third. Adam Johnson curls a cross towards the far post, where Yann M’Vila sticks out a leg and pokes it wide. In the Sky Sports commentary box, Niall Quinn suggests he should have headed it and it’s hard to disagree.
54 min: Fabio Borini does well to wriggle past a couple of Liverpool defenders in their own penalty area, before unleashing a shot that sails straight into Simon Mignolet’s bread-basket.
53 min: Duncan Watmore wins the ball down by the corner flag and trys to get a cross into the Liverpool penalty area. It’s blocked.
51 min: Sunderland look to have had the wind well and truly knocked out of their sails by that early setback. WIll the wilt and lose by two or three? Or can they fight back?
46 min: Sam Allardyce looks completely distraught in the Sunderland dug-out, having seen his side concede a goal so early in the second half. Nathanial Clyne played a diagonal through ball into the penalty area that took a touch of Adam Lallana that steered it into the path of Benteke. From six yards out with just Mannone to beat, he slotted the ball into the corner. Lallana’s touch looked a little fortunate at first, but replays show he may well have intended to steer the ball into Benteke’s path.
GOAL! Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool (Benteke 46)
With just 23 seconds of the second half elapsed, Christian Benteke dinks the ball past Vito Mannone into the bottom left-hand corner after latching on to a through ball from Nathanial Clyne.
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Second half: Sunderland 0-0 Liverpool
Liverpool get the second half part started, with no changes in personnel on either team.
Half-time: It’s scoreless at the Stadium of Light after 45 minutes of football that won’t live long in anyone’s memory. Liverpool have dominated, forcing two excellent saves out of Vito Mannone, but Sunderland have given their visitors lots to think about too, with Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe both going close.
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44 min: Jordan Henderson goes close to opening the scoring against his former club. Running unmarked into space in the penalty area at a corner, his first-time drive is blocked before it can cross the line. After an unseemly goalmouth scramble, Sunderland clear their lines.
43 min: Nathaniel Clyne gives Vito Mannone plenty to think about with a ball over the top that the goalkeeper fails to deal with. Sebastian Coates steps in to prevent Christian Benteke from nodding into the abandoned goal.
40 min: Jermain Defoe pulls off the impressive feat of being flagged for offside while off the pitch and running behind the linesman to get back on to it and pick up a pass. He’d been carried off it by his own momentum while successfully trying to prevent the ball for going out of play for a Liverpool throw-in.
39 min: Diabolical stuff. Adam Johnson takes the free-kick and sends the ball soaring over the cross-bar. That was a great scoring opportunity from a free-kick just outside the penalty area.
38 min: Sunderland win a free-kick a couple of yards outside the Liverpool penalty area, straight in front of goal.
35 min: Emre Can picks out Nathanial Clyne with a splendid pass towards the corner flag and there’s a cry of “handball” from Sunderland’s fans as the Liverpool full-back controls the ball with his hand. The referee doesn’t notice and Clyne sends in a fine cross, which Roberto Firmino heads goalwards from about seven yards. Vito Mannone saves well, but Firmino made it fairly easy for him.
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33 min: With Jack Rodwell gone, Duncan Watmore has taken up a position on the right of the three behind Jermain Defoe, with Adam Johnson moving to the centre and Fabio Borini staying out on the left.
33 min: Fabio Borini goes close, picking up a cross from Patrick van Aanholt in the Liverpool penalty area and shooting on the turn. His effort flashes narrowly wide of the far upright.
31 min: Watmore doesn’t take long to make a first impression, picking up the ball and sprinting directly towards the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, where he’s dispossessed by Adam Lallana. Watmore earns himself the loudest cheer of the night, by scurrying after the Liverpool midfielder and winning the ball back.
29 min: Jack Rodwell is forced off with injury and replaced by Duncan Watmore.
28 min: There’s a pause in play as Jack Rodwell receives treatment for an injury.
24 min: Roberto Firmino hits the left upright with a rocket of a shot from distance after being given the freedom of the edge of the penalty area to scurry back and forth before making room for his right-footed drive. Replays show that Vito Mannone actually got a fingertip to the ball to touch it on to the post.
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22 min: With a quarter of the match played, it’s been anything but a classic so far. Liverpool are dominating possession and having the better of proceedings, but Sunderland have come closest to scoring. One suspects Sam Allardyce will be the happier of the two managers, not least because his side have gone over 20 minutes without conceding an early goal.
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20 min: A heavy touch from Emre Can as he advanced into space outside the Sunderland penalty area enables Billy Jones to step in and hack the ball clear. Liverpool’s players seem to be enjoying far too much space around the fringes of the Sunderland penalty area.
19 min: Christian Benteke gets booked for putting his foot up to block an attempted kick-out by Vito Mannone.
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17 min: Liverpool win a free-kick three or four yards outside the Sunderland penalty area, well left of centre. Philippe Coutinho attempts to get the ball up over the ball and down, but his effort is too high, but close enough to send Vito Mannone backpedalling into the back of his own net, where he gets tangled like a fish in a trawling net.
15 min: Oof! Good work from Jermain Defoe, who picks up a pass from Lee Cattermole on the edge of the final third and does well to shield the ball as he takes it past Mamadou Sakho. Making his way to the edge of the penalty area, he unleashes a powerful drive that stings the palms of Simon Mignolet, who’s forced to palm the ball over the bar for a corner. Good effort.
13 min: Liverpool win a throw-in deep in the Sunderland half. Alberto Moreno takes it and the ensuing move ends with Philippe Coutinho holding off Lee Cattermole before shooting wide of the left upright with a wild slash from distance.
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10 min: Pretty scrappy stuff in the opening 10 minutes, with both teams showing a distinct lack of finesse. Jack Rodwell wins a corner for Sunderland, earning himself an appreciative roar of approval from the crowd. Nothing comes of it. The corner, that is. Not the appreciative roar.
8 min: While attempting to play the ball out of defence, Sebastian Coates gifts possession to Philippe Coutinho, who advances on goal. He attempts to play Roberto Firmino in on goal, but the Brazilian’s first touch is atrocious and ruins a promising attack. That’s a let-off for Sunderland after some kamikaze defending by Coates.
6 min: Several yards outside the Sunderland penalty area, Nathanial Clyne chests down the ball and unleashes a fizzing, swerving drive. Vito Mannone saves reasonably easily.
3 min: On the edge of the penalty area, Adam Lallana finds himself in possession in acres of space and is able to turn and dink a cross towards the far post. Wes Brown heads clear, but if Lallana’s pass had been more precise, Christian Benteke could have scored with a header.
2 min: Nothing of note to report thus far, as both sides attempt to find their bearings. Sunderland give Liverpool an ealry scare, as Fabio Borini attempts to pick out Jermain Defoe with a low ball into the penalty area. It’s a might too weighty, enabling Simon Mignolet to pounce and save.
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Sunderland v Liverpool has begun
1 min: Sunderland get the ball rolling, with Lee Cattermole and Jermain Defoe doing the honours. The ball’s played back to Vito Mannone, who lumps it forward.
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Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch, with Sunderland’s players kitted out in their usual home kit of red and white striped shirts black shorts and black socks. Liverpool’s wear their third kit of black shirts, black shirts and white socks. Both teams line up on opposite sides of the the centre circle for a perfectly observed minute’s silence.
They’re expecting 45,000 at the Stadium of Light tonight. The loyalty of Sunderland’s fans is quite remarkable, not least when they could be at home watching Football Weekly regulars Sid Lowe on University Challenge or AC Jimbo presenting the World’s Strongest Man on television tonight. There’ll be a minute’s silence (or applause, I’m not sure which) ahead of kick-off tonight, as a tribute to anyone - fans, former players or staff - connected with the club who passed away this year.
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Jurgen Klopp speaks
The Liverpool manager is in chipper form and, upon being asked if it’s important that Liverpool build on the momentum of their win against Leicester, he says that it is. “Very important,” he says. “That’s what we should try and do. It was a good reaction on the Watford game. We’ll have a big fight for second balls tonight. I expect Sunderland to pose us problems but not with the same results [as we had against Watford and West Brom]. We need to keep things simple and compact. When you have the space and the momentum, we have to play good simple football. We’ve had enough time to prepare for this game. I didn’t get too much for Christmas, so if I could have this win as a present, that would be nice.”
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Sam Allardyce speaks ...
The Sunderland manager tells Sky Sports that he left out Steven Fletcher because the striker is carrying an injury. “He had a fitness test and he did say he was willing to play, but it’s a bit like John O’Shea ... you could send him out and he’ll pull something or strain something, so we’ll rest him tonight and make sure he’s 100% next time around.” On the subject of his team’s negativity in defeat against Manchester City, he says he hopes they’ll be more positive and less cowed against Liverpool. “I hope so, I hope so,” he says. “We’re playing at home and have to show a bit more fight and a bit more willingness to get in amongst the Liverpool players and get in their faces.” He adds that Sunderland need to “nullify the talent in their forward line” and says “if we can exploit a few of their weaknesses, we might get a chance to get a goal.” He finishes up by saying “it’s important today not to concede a goal”.
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Sunderland on verge of signing Kone
This just in from the Press Association: Sam Allardyce is closing in on his first January signing after French club Lorient accepted Sunderland’s bid for defender Lamine Kone. Allardyce revealed on Monday that he had two players lined up as he attempts to strengthen the squad he inherited from predecessor Dick Advocaat as quickly as possible when the winter transfer window opens.
And it appears 26-year-old Kone could be the first of them after it emerged that the two clubs had agreed a fee. “We have received an offer that we have accepted,” said Lorient vice-president Alex Hayes. “It is now up to Lamine to find an agreement with Sunderland and to pass the medical before the transfer can be made official.” It is understood that Kone, who has been tracked by Allardyce since his time at West Ham, flew to England on Tuesday to open talks with Sunderland, who are hopeful of striking a deal within the next few days.
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Sunderland v Liverpool lineups
Sunderland: Mannone, Jones, Coates, Brown, Van Aanholt, Rodwell, M’Vila, Cattermole, Johnson, Defoe, Borini.
Subs: Pantilimon, Lens, Graham, Toivonen, Yedlin, Watmore, Beadling.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno, Henderson, Can, Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho, Benteke.
Subs: Toure, Lucas, Ibe, Bogdan, Smith, Teixeira, Randall.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Tonight’s confirmed #LFC starting line-up and subs in full v @SunderlandAFC pic.twitter.com/4tKwadRXqs
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 30, 2015
SAFC team to face @LFC: Mannone, Jones, Coates, Brown, PVA, Cattermole (C), M'Vila, Rodwell, Johnson, Borini, Defoe.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 30, 2015
Sunderland v Liverpool - preview
Having lost four on the bounce following the unlikely two-match winning streak that yielded six of the 12 points they’ve acquired from 54 available so far this season, Sunderland are in all sorts of bother as they welcome Liverpool to the Stadium of Light this foul winter’s evening. Second from bottom of the table and already seven points from safety, this dysfunctional outfit are facing yet another relegation battle and are unlikely to have an easy night against a Liverpool team that has yet to find its rhythm under Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool responded to their surprise thrashing at the hands of Watford with a Boxing Day win over high-flying Leicester City, while their hosts had their pants pulled down by Manchester City. With confidence on Wearside at a very low webb, Liverpool will surely fancy their chances of securing another three points tonight.
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has announced the “day of reckoning” has come for some of his players, with all of them having been given the chance to impress him and few if any seeming to have taken it. “I’ve finished with all that [tinkering] now,” he said. “I’ve done all that. Everybody has had a go, everybody has had a chance and the time has come for the reckoning. The reckoning means that players might not get another chance. They might be surplus to requirements. I’ve said that to players.”
Meanwhile in the Liverpool camp, Jurgen Klopp has been railing against the elements and generally playing mid games with the wind, which he considers to be “the biggest enemy of football”. Speaking to German newspaper Bild, the German said: “The English game is not faster than the German game. Perhaps there are a few more sprints. But there is a different style of football here, partially due to the weather. We have extreme winds here on the island, which do not exist in this form in Germany. You have to play simple here.” With Storm Frank wreaking havoc in the north of England, there’s every chance Liverpool’s players will kop a mini-buffeting tonight, with gusts of up to 19mph predicted.
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