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
11 mins: Another long range Leicester effort, but not nearly as threatening. Riyad Mahrez takes aim with a centrally-placed free-kick, but curls it straight into a four-man wall.
14 mins: It's not the most free flowing of encounters so far and the somewhat shambolic nature of the event has just been summed up by the breaking down of a Leicester corner - the first of the match - and it ending in a clumsy Daniel Amartey foul on the halfway line. In fact, clumsy fouls in midfield have populated this one in its early stages and referee Bobby Madley has been busy on his whistle.
18 mins: Adama Traore looks a lot of fun. In a bizarre combination of pace, skill, good fortune and confusion, he bursts past Christian Fuchs, Daniel Amartey and Nampalys Mendy before launching himself into the air above Robert Huth's left leg. He and the home crowd want a penalty; they're not getting one.
20 mins: Traore is at it again. After getting to the byline once again, the former Barcelona and Aston Villa man (it's rare you get the opportunity to use those two clubs in the same sentence these days) finally gets a cross into Leicester penalty area that finds Marten de Roon. Almost surprised at its arrival, the Dutchman takes a swing of his right leg and the result is a ball somewhere high among the home fans.
25 mins: An excellent piece of defending by Danny Simpson has the home fans booing. It seems an odd reaction. Surprise, yes, but disgust? It appears Middlesbrough were once again appealing for a penalty as the right-back tussled with Alvaro Negredo, and such vocal wishful thinking earns Gaston Ramirez a yellow card for dissent.
28 mins: Gaston Ramirez is an irritating footballer. Bags of talent yet he remains the only player I've ever accused of playacting after a wild challenge left him with a three inch gash in his leg. Seconds after being booked for dissent, he goes to ground very easily as he heads towards the Leicester penalty area, an incident that yet again doesn't warrant a whistle from the referee. His antics have formed a siege mentality among the home fans, and when they are awarded a free-kick, the decision draws ironic cheers around the ground.
32 mins: Happy New Year Antonio Barragan! The Spanish defender has collapsed with a hamstring problem and won't be able to continue. George Friend replaces his stricken teammate and Boro are forced to reshuffle at the back.
35 mins: Brilliant skill from Traore! Brilliant pace from Traore! Brilliant second touch from Traore!
Horrendous cross from Traore.
38 mins: Okay. The home fans can moan about this one. Marten de Roon lines up a thunderbolt from more than 25-yards out, only to see it thump into the formidable body of Wes Morgan. It loops behind Kasper Schmeichel's goal, but rather than signalling for a corner, Bobby Madley awards a goalkick. Perhaps his resolution for 2017 is to wind up more northerners.
41 mins: "But you are the worst!" bellow the Middlesbrough supporters in the direction of Robert Madley after passing comment on the sub-standard calibre of previous arbiters at the Riverside Stadium. The official's misdemeanour this time? Correctly playing advantage after Ramirez had bundled into Mendy on the near touchline.
I wonder if Jonathan Moss has taken charge of a game up here yet.
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