EPL 2016/17: Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland - 5 talking points
Liverpool had to fight hard in their match against Sunderland but their 2-0 victory helped the Merseyside club move back to the top of the Premier League table, until Chelsea reclaimed that after they defeated Spurs late in the night.
The Reds couldn’t break a resilient Sunderland side down in the first half but substitute Divock Origi scored in the 75th minute and Sadio Mane then won a penalty in the 90th minute. James Milner made no mistake in beating Jordan Pickford as he slotted home the penalty.
While the Reds celebrated their victory Sunderland finished match day 13 at the bottom of the table, which heaps more pressure on David Moyes.
We look back at the tense affair at Anfield and share the five talking points from the match.
#1 Liverpool huff and puff but get their reward
It would have been naïve had David Moyes’ side attacked Liverpool at Anfield. The Reds have been incredible at home and Sunderland defended really well for most of the game. The onus would always have been on Liverpool to attack the Black Cats and for 75 minutes it seemed the home side would have to be happy with a draw.
Akin to the games against Southampton and Manchester United, the Reds just could not break down the Sunderland defence until Divock Origi’s cross/shot went into the net. What was great to see was that the side kept on going, even if things weren’t falling into place for them, this was missing from some of the earlier performances in the season.
The Reds needed a bit of luck for their goal but it is these kinds of performances which will ensure Klopp’s men are close to the top of the table.