Liverpool vs. Sunderland: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Liverpool have endured a difficult, to say the least, start to this Premier League this season. But the Merseyside club has somewhat stabilised things after successive wins over Stoke City and Leicester City.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has made some tough choices, including resting Steven Gerrard in the recent home clash with Stoke. Now the Reds face a Sunderland team that couldn't build on a creditable 0-0 home draw with Chelsea. Instead, the Mackems suffered a 4-1 home defeat to another title contender, Manchester City.
Before a preview, here's the schedule and viewing information:
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Date: Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014
Time: 3 p.m. (GMT) / 10 a.m. (US)
TV: Sky Sports 1 (Soccer Saturday Updates) NBCSN (US)
Live Stream: BBC Sport Website (updates), NBC Sports Live Extra (US)
Preview
Defence has been an obvious bane for the Reds this season. Rodgers' team has yielded 19 goals in just 14 league games.
However, the Anfield chief is confident the return of Croatian centre-back Dejan Lovren will have a positive impact. The ex-Southampton mainstay has been largely disappointing since moving to Merseyside this summer.
But Rodgers believes a recent spell on the bench will spur improvement from Lovren, per Liverpool Echo reporter James Pearce:
"Dejan has been brilliant. He has taken it like a man.
He is working hard in training. He knows he will get an opportunity and hopefully he can then take it.
"
Rodgers has recently been relying on ex-Arsenal and Manchester City man Kolo Toure. The hard-working 33-year-old has been in superb form.
Toure is certainly in the mood for more playing time, according to Liverpool Echo writer David Prentice:
"I can’t wait for them. It’s so fantastic to play those big games. Especially at this time when no-one knows what to expect. That’s why we all love football. It’s a great opportunity to show how strong Liverpool Football Club is and all the players are looking forward to it.
"
Improvement from Lovren needn't come at Toure's expense. But it would be a welcome boost to Rodgers' options at the back, offering him the tactical flexibility to adopt three-man defensive structures for certain games.
However, for a rare occasion, the state of things at the back may be the least of Rodgers' worries. He might just be more concerned with the proficiency of his attack.
Matters haven't been helped by the ongoing injury problems experienced by Daniel Sturridge. The prolific England international has now been dispatched to Los Angeles to step up his recovery, per The Guardian:
"Liverpool have sent Daniel Sturridge to Los Angeles to continue his rehabilitation from the thigh injury which has sidelined him for most of the season.
The 25-year-old has not played for the club since August 31 after he initially strained a thigh on international duty with England.
On the eve of his comeback he pulled a calf muscle in his first full training session back with the first team and just when he appeared to have got over that he sustained another, different, thigh injury which has ruled him out until the new year.
"
Liverpool have certainly missed the defence-stretching pace Sturridge provides. They've also sorely lacked his confidence in front of goal.
With Lambert leading the line, the Reds will have to vary their attack. That will involve playing off the 32-year-old's aerial power.
However, the Sunderland defence might welcome that challenge. They are fresh off being tied in knots by Sergio Aguero's quickness and trickery.
The real question is does manager Gus Poyet have the weaponry to expose Liverpool's back line? It's hard to think he does when Connor Wickham and Jozy Altidore represent his primary options.
Wasting chances cost Sunderland the chance to beat Chelsea, a result their performance merited. What Poyet really needs is a midfielder with the knack for goals he had during his playing days.
Maybe talented but temperamental winger Adam Johnson can conjure some magic. His potential return, along with experienced centre-back Wes Brown, per Sky Sports, provides a boost for Poyet.
Predicted Final Score: Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland
This match is likely to be stale for long periods. Liverpool lack confidence going forward, while Sunderland are obviously missing quality.
Eventually though, the Reds will snatch a pair of late strikes to seal another welcome win.
