Liverpool vs. Sunderland: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Liverpool drew 0-0 with Sunderland in a generally disappointing contest at Anfield on Saturday, with neither team ever really looking like coming away with all three points in the Premier League game.
Philippe Coutinho and Jordi Gomez perhaps had the best chances for their respective sides, although it was Raheem Sterling who was arguably the match's standout attacking performing. Nevertheless, Liverpool's lack of attacking invention was once again noticeable, as Sunderland successfully frustrated them and delivered another hard-fought point.
Here are some winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Costel Pantilimon
1 of 4
Since replacing Vito Mannone as Sunderland's starting goalkeeper, Costel Pantilimon has kept three clean sheets in five games. One of those games saw him come up against an in-form Sergio Aguero, while in the other his clean sheet was spoiled by a fantastic own goal from Wes Brown (against Crystal Palace).
On Saturday, Pantilimon was not asked to do anything too arduous to fend off Liverpool, but everything he was asked to do he did cleanly and with the minimum of fuss. That seemed to feed his defence with an additional sense of confidence, as they produced an impressive display as a unit—even if they were helped in that regard by Liverpool's lack of real threat.
Surely now entrenched as Sunderland's No. 1, it would take a litany of errors or an injury to enable Mannone to win his place back. The Italian may have started the season well, but Sunderland look like a more assured group with the Romanian between the sticks.
Loser: Liverpool's Attacking Invention
2 of 4
Another game, another abject attacking display from Liverpool. Enough words have already been written about just how badly the club are missing Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, but it remains somewhat startling that Rodgers is still yet to find any sort of remedy to the current problems.
Last season, with Suarez and Sturridge singing, Liverpool averaged nearly three goals per game at home. This season, with a goalless effort in this game, their average has now slipped below one-a-game. For any team in the division that is not good enough, let alone one with European aspirations.
Almost all of Liverpool's most dangerous attacking moments came from individual flashes of quality from Sterling (or occasionally Coutinho), but Sunderland's defence was more than organised enough to deal with that sort of approach. What was needed to break past John O'Shea, Wes Brown and the rest was a cohesive, team move—something Liverpool singularly failed to produce.
At one point toward the second half, it was tangible how little creativity Liverpool had as Henderson, Lucas, Lallana and Coutinho passed the ball from side-to-side, left-to-right without any attempt to penetrate or unbalance the Sunderland defence. It was excruciating to watch, a world away from what Reds fans witnessed last season.
In the second half, things improved, albeit only marginally (and predominately due to Steven Gerrard's introduction). Afterward, Rodgers told reporters (per the Daily Mirror):
"It was important to keep a clean sheet and it was a big effort from the players. We've got seven points from nine this week.
I can't have any complaints from the players. They're giving me everything and we can't solely rely on Steven. It can't [always] be up to him.
"
Basel come to town in midweek, in a game that Liverpool must win if they are to reach the Champions League knockout stages. That will require scoring at least one goal: On this evidence, it is something they will really struggle to do.
Winner: Gus Poyet
3 of 4
It should not be forgotten that it was not too long ago that Sunderland were conceding eight goals on an away trip to Southampton.
Gus Poyet must feel a certain amount of trepidation every time he takes his side away from the Stadium of Light, even if they have tightened up considerably in defence since that St Mary's horror show.
On Saturday, Poyet rotated his side slightly following the defeat to Manchester City in midweek, giving Lee Cattermole—a linchpin of their recent run of decent form—a rest. But his replacement, Liam Bridcutt, came in and did a diligent job in that all-important holding role, encapsulating the effort of many of his team-mates.
Poyet's strategy in attack was rather obvious, with Adam Johnson and Sebastian Larsson tasked with putting in as many balls as possible for the physically powerful duo of Connor Wickham and Jozy Altidore. Both forwards, particularly Wickham, caused their share of problems, and on another day that approach might have led to a goal that would have enabled the Black Cats to steal all three points.
Nevertheless, a draw was a reasonable result for Poyet and continues to keep them safely above the imbroglio at the bottom of the table. After last season, everyone at the club will surely be happy with that.
Winner: Alberto Moreno
4 of 4
The diminutive Alberto Moreno was perhaps one of the few Liverpool players to enhance their standing over the course of this game, even if only marginally.
The full-back was generally solid defensively and really helped inject a rare dose of pace and intent when helping in attack; something that did not go unnoticed, even if it did not help produce a goal.
So many of Liverpool's summer signings—Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert, Lazar Markovic, Emre Can—are still struggling to earn Brendan Rodgers' trust, either consigned to rare appearances off the bench or (in the case of Lambert) playing regularly only because there is no other real option.
Moreno, and to a lesser extent Adam Lallana, is one of the few players who seems to have forced his way into the first-team rotation—and this was another solid display in an otherwise mediocre game.
