Sunderland vs. Liverpool: Score, Grades, Reaction from Premier League Game
As a Liverpool legend prepares to leave, a new star continues to rise for the Reds.
Lazar Markovic scored the only goal in an impressive performance for Liverpool as the Reds won 1-0 at Sunderland on Saturday in the Premier League.
It was a first league goal for Markovic, who started his Liverpool career slowly following a summer move from Benfica. But the 20-year-old Serbian has improved markedly in recent appearances and turned in a fine all-round display for the Reds at the Stadium of Light.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
The game's only goal came in the ninth minute on a move started and finished by Markovic. Liverpool dominated throughout the first half, creating several opportunities to score more but managed only the one goal.
Sunderland finished the match with 10 men after midfielder Liam Bridcutt was sent off early in the second half for his second bookable offence. The Black Cats improved soon after the dismissal, placing Liverpool under pressure for a short spell, but were unable to find an equaliser.
The win took Liverpool onto 32 points through 21 matches, level with seventh-placed West Ham United pending Saturday's later results. The Reds are still four points behind fourth-placed Southampton, who play at Manchester United on Sunday.
Sunderland, who started the weekend three points clear of the relegation zone, remained in 14th place pending later results.
Both teams continue in the Premier League next Saturday when Liverpool play at Aston Villa and Sunderland visit Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard dominated the headlines this week after news broke of his upcoming departure from Anfield. The 34-year-old Gerrard, who has been with the club since age eight, will join Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer, as confirmed by the club.
Back in the present tense, Gerrard captained Liverpool against Sunderland as usual but was deployed in a more advanced role than normal. Missing from the Reds' starting XI, meanwhile, was forward Raheem Sterling, who was on break in Jamaica.
Manager Brendan Rodgers told James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo the break was "planned," saying:
"He has been outstanding for us in recent months. A period of rest and the recuperation will do him the world of good. It’s been a gruelling first half of the season for him with a lot of matches and a lot of work.
This is the break I had always planned to give him. It will set him up for the rest of the season.
"
Despite Sterling's absence, Liverpool started quickly and should have been awarded a penalty in the third minute when Sunderland's Wes Brown felled Markovic in the box. Referee Craig Pawson waved play on, though replays clearly showed contact.
Markovic wouldn't be denied in the ninth minute. After leading a Liverpool attack down the right flank, the Serbian reclaimed the ball in the box after Fabio Borini crumpled under a challenge. Sunderland's Patrick van Aanholt seemed set to clear the danger, but the ball bounced off the defender's leg and back into the path of Markovic, who poked in the opener through Costel Pantilimon's legs.
Sunderland's first chance to cause some danger at Liverpool's end came in the 13th minute, but Sebastian Larsson curled a tame free-kick straight at Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho created an opening for Gerrard in the 24th minute after working himself free with excellent dribbling. His pass reached Gerrard in a promising position, but Gerrard's shot was tipped wide of the post. Liverpool worked the resulting corner cleverly to Gerrard, whose shot was blocked.
Markovic came close to scoring a second goal in the 29th minute, smacking an audacious flying volley off the crossbar from the edge of the box. Nine minutes later, Gerrard blasted into the side netting from a tight angle on the right as Liverpool continued to dominate.
The Reds had another good chance just before the break as Emre Can freed Borini with a brilliant long ball over the top. Running free behind Sunderland's defence, Borini rounded Pantilimon before shooting into the side netting from a tight angle.
For all Liverpool's dominance, the Reds carried only the one-goal lead into half-time. At the break, Rodgers replaced Gerrard with defender Dejan Lovren.
In the opening moments of the second half, the visitors picked up where they had left off before the break, with Markovic shooting just wide of the post from the edge of the box in the 46th minute.
Sunderland's plight became even more difficult in the 49th minute, when Bridcutt earned a second booking for a foul on Can along the touchline. The subsequent dismissal meant the Black Cats had to play the final 40-plus minutes with a numerical disadvantage.
And yet three minutes later, Sunderland had their best chance of the match so far. Holding possession in the middle well outside the box, Adam Johnson hit a dipping, swerving shot on target that bamboozled Mignolet. With the Liverpool goalkeeper beaten, the ball hit the underside of the bar and bounced away.
Liverpool soon began to reassert control and created a chance in the 67th minute, with Coutinho shooting inches wide of the post from the edge of the box.
Rodgers made a second substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Mario Balotelli for Borini in the front line. Balotelli carved out a first chance four minutes later, outwitting Brown on the left side of the box before shooting at Pantilimon, who saved.
Chances were scarce for both sides in the final 10 minutes. Liverpool's Jordan Henderson hit a free-kick over the bar in the 82nd minute, and Sunderland's Mikael Mandron headed off target in stoppage time.
Grades
| Costel Pantilimon | 6.7 |
| Santiago Vergini | 6.1 |
| John O'Shea | 6.4 |
| Wes Brown | 6.9 |
| Patrick van Aanholt | 6.6 |
| Liam Bridcutt | 5.8 |
| Adam Johnson | 6.9 |
| Sebastian Larsson | 6.5 |
| Jordi Gomez | 6.0 |
| Emanuele Giaccherini | 6.1 |
| Connor Wickham | 6.0 |
| William Buckley (for Giaccherini, 77') | 6.3 |
| Danny Graham (for Wickham, 77') | 6.0 |
| Mikael Mandron (for Johnson, 86') | 6.3 |
| Simon Mignolet | 6.6 |
| Emre Can | 7.8 |
| Martin Skrtel | 7.1 |
| Mamadou Sakho | 7.0 |
| Lazar Markovic | 9.0 |
| Jordan Henderson | 7.0 |
| Lucas Leiva | 7.5 |
| Alberto Moreno | 6.9 |
| Steven Gerrard | 6.6 |
| Fabio Borini | 7.0 |
| Philippe Coutinho | 8.2 |
| Dejan Lovren (for Gerrard, 46') | 6.4 |
| Mario Balotelli (for Borini, 67') | 6.7 |
Reaction
Sunderland manager Gus Poyet (via PremierLeague.com):
"We were much better on the ball than the last three or four games, we're just missing that cutting edge up front, the one who scores the goals and wins you the games.In the Barclays Premier League a point is difficult, three points is massive. We'll keep working hard.
He (Borini) was the answer last year, but we couldn't get him this year. There are players who can make the difference on their own, but they're expensive.
We've got the plans at the moment luckily nobody knows, which is great so I don't need to comment too much on that. I'm trying to concentrate on what we've got and then the recruitment people need to work to get what we need.
"
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers (via PremierLeague.com):
"It was an outstanding team performance. We had great control of the game, but I suppose the only disappointment is we did not have more goals. Our confidence is returning, this is a team that gets better and better as it goes on. It is a young group, but they are developing very well.
January will be quiet for us, unless we think there is something that can really improve our team and then the owners will look to do that. We have a lot of exciting young talent here.
"
