Liverpool vs. Sunderland: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Liverpool gave away a two-goal lead in the final 10 minutes of their match against Sunderland on Saturday, playing out a 2-2 draw that won't help either side much in the Premier League standings.

Roberto Firmino opened the score just before the hour-mark and handed Adam Lallana the second goal on a platter, once again playing the hero for the Reds. Adam Johnson pulled one back late for Sunderland, however, and Jermain Defoe scored an unexpected equaliser with minutes to spare.

Per Sky Sports, the Reds were without manager Jurgen Klopp, who missed the clash due to a suspected bout of appendicitis.

If the German had been at Anfield, he likely would have been furious after a dismal first half, in which the Reds failed to break down Sunderland's defences. The team made the necessary adjustments after the break but gave away a sure win in the final minutes.

As shared by the Reds' official Twitter account, Daniel Sturridge was fit enough to make the Reds' bench:

Meanwhile, Mamadou Sakho hit a personal milestone with the club:

From the opening whistle, the visitors showed they weren't afraid of Liverpool and pressed high up the pitch. The first real chance fell to Sunderland, as Patrick van Aanholt fired wide after an impressive run.

Injuries have dominated the headlines for Liverpool of late, and unfortunately for the Reds, Saturday's match was no different. Just 11 minutes into the contest, Dejan Lovren signaled to the sidelines and was replaced by Kolo Toure.

The early injury didn't help Liverpool's build-up play, as they had to integrate a new man into the side, but after 17 minutes, they threatened Vito Mannone's goal for the first time. Alberto Moreno found Lallana, who couldn't aim his header on target.

Per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, the Reds showed far too little during the opening stages:

Moreno drew a fine save from Mannone after some careless play from Jan Kirchhoff, but that was one of the few occasions where the Italian was really tested in the first half.

Sunderland didn't look any better in attack, and most of the danger still came from the Reds. John O'Shea made a key block to stop James Milner from getting off a shot, as Liverpool tried to work their way a little deeper into the Sunderland half.

As the first half wore on, Anfield started getting more and more frustrated, and with 10 minutes left in the half, the fans started to voice their displeasure. More from Pearce:

Joe Allen did well to find Jordan Henderson at the edge of the box, but the midfielder took too long to sort his feet and let the chance go begging.

Liverpool finally found some intensity in the final minutes of the half, with Firmino blasting a shot just over the crossbar and Moreno aiming a header off target. Van Aanholt also nearly diverted a Lallana cross into his own net, but fortunately for the Sunderland man, the score at half-time was still 0-0.

Allen picked up a knock just before half-time and was replaced by Jordon Ibe, who seemed to inject some much-needed pace into the Liverpool attack early in the second half. Kirchoff then barely managed to clear the ball ahead of Henderson, before Firmino blasted just wide from distance.

Defoe should have given Sunderland the lead after a poor throw from Mignolet, and his miss would cost his team dearly, as Firmino opened the score on the other side of the pitch shortly after. Milner curled a beautiful cross right onto the Brazilian's head, and Firmino didn't miss.

ESPN FC's David Amoyal was impressed with the cross:

Liverpool pressed hard for a second goal, and Lallana nearly got it, drawing a fine save from Mannone after some nifty footwork from Ibe. 

Van Aanholt could have equalised after 67 minutes but wildly fired a shot over the bar, and once again, the Reds struck immediately after Sunderland missed a promising opportunity. This time, it was Lallana who converted, tapping home after a superb run from Firmino.

Per OptaJoe, the Brazilian has been in fantastic form of late:

Down by two goals, Sunderland seemed to stop believing they could make an improbable comeback, and the pace of the match dropped dramatically. With 13 minutes left on the clock, more drama took place in the stands than on the pitch, with the Liverpool fans leaving Anfield in huge numbers to protest the high ticket prices, per Bleacher Report UK:

Those fans missed Sunderland's first goal with eight minutes left to spare, as Johnson found the back of the net with a free-kick. It should have been a routine stop for Mignolet, who allowed the ball to slip past him. 

Sunderland suddenly had all momentum on their side and threw men forward in search of an equaliser, finding it through Defoe in the 89th minute. 

Per Squawka Football, Liverpool's defence has really struggled of late:

The Reds will play an out-of-form Aston Villa next and desperately need a win in order to stay in the race for the UEFA Europa League tickets. Sunderland will take on Manchester United in Week 26 and will likely use a similar game plan in search of a similar result.   

Post-Match Reaction

With Klopp unavailable for any post-match interviews, first-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders told reporters he believed Liverpool deserved the win, per Chris Shaw of the Reds' official website:

"

Normally the scoreboard doesn’t lie. Today, it did, in my opinion. For 82 minutes, we played really well and we became better throughout the game, especially after our goal.

[...] We felt that we were in control of the game and you see that one moment changes everything. There are still eight to 10 minutes where you have to be calm and play, keep moving the ball into the final third, so when you lose it you can counter-press and stay higher up the pitch.

"

Per Kate Smith of Sunderland's official website, Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce hailed his team's spirit:

"

When you’re two-nil down at Anfield you think your day’s all over, but today we fought back from being two goals down with two quality goals of our own.

We earned ourselves a point by not giving up and never saying die. It looked like the fear left us and we seemed to play a lot better after falling behind.

"

He added the point is a "precious" one.

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