Goals:
1-0: Firmino (59, moved clear of van Aanholt to nod Milner’s cross inside the far post)
2-0: Lallana (70, tapped over the line after some great work from Firmino down the left)
2-1: Johnson (82, curled a free-kick inside Mignolet’s near post which should have been saved)
2-2: Defoe (89, turned Sakho in the box before clinically picking out Mignolet’s bottom right corner)
Bookings: N’Doye (39, foul)
Referee: Robert Madley (Wakefield) – seemed to give far too many split decisions Liverpool’s way. 5
Attendance: 44,179
Entertainment: ***
Liv Sund
Shots on 5 2
Shots off 11 5
Corners 7 2
Offsides 2 2
Fouls 4 12
LIVERPOOOL (4-2-3-1): Mignolet 4; Clyne 5, Lovren 5 (Toure 12, 6), Sakho 4, Moreno 6; Henderson 5 (Lucas 86), Can 6; Allen 5 (Ibe 45, 7), Lallana 7, Milner 6; FIRMINO 8. Subs (not used): Ward (gk), Benteke, Sturridge, Flanagan.
SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1):
7 Mannone: Made a fine first half save to deny Moreno and then a crucial double stop in the second half;
4 Jones: Made a couple of mistakes and guilty of gifting the Reds possession for Lallana goal
7 Kone: Won the large share of headers and tackles which came his way
7 O’Shea: Made some important stops at crucial times but unable to stop the goals
6 van Aanholt: Missed a great chance in the second half and allowed Firmino to score the opener but still a threat;
4 Kirchhoff: Not as effective as he was against Manchester City and lost possession a few times;
5 Watmore: Hardly had chance to shine when his knee suffered damage in a fall
6 M’Vila: Given the runaround a little at times but still put the work in like he can
6 Cattermole: Didn’t see as much of the ball as he would like but still worked hard in the middle?
7 Khazri: Some nice touches, will be a big asset in the final few months of the season and had a part in the equaliser;
7 Defoe: Hardly got a look in and then struck a sweet leveller in true Defoe fashion
Subs:
N’Doye (for Watmore 25): Had to work harder defensively than he would have liked. 5
Johnson (for Kirchhoff 66): Must have been shocked to see his free-kick squirm beyond Mignolet. 6
Yedlin (for Jones 75)
(not used): Pickford (gk), Brown, Rodwell, Toivonen.
MAN OF THE MATCH: ROBERTO Firmino – looked the part at times and should have been the match-winner until Sunderland’s late flurry.
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