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Sunderland v Liverpool Live Blog – Premier League – 17 October 2009

Sunderland v Liverpool
Stadium of Light – Sunderland, England
English Premier League
Saturday 17 October 2009
Kickoff: 16:00 BST, 15:00 GMT, 10:00 EST

Sunderland hosts Liverpool as the English Premier League returns to action after the international break. Will Liverpool be able to find their form on the road without Gerrard? Can Sunderland keep their strong start going with a win at home?

Soccerlens will bring you the game live – with coverage starting 15 minutes before kickoff around 14:45 GMT (15:45 BST, 9:45 EST) with the starting lineups. Till then, you can catch the match preview and predictions below, leave your thoughts on the game in the comments and sign up to watch Sunderland v Liverpool live online here.

Sunderland v Liverpool Live Blog

Sunderland Preview

Sunderland welcome Liverpool to the Stadium of Light on Saturday after a fine performance against Manchester United.

Sunderland made the dreaded trip to Old Trafford and claimed a solid 2-2 draw against the champions. With a bit more luck, Sunderland would have claimed all three points against United as they held a 2-1 lead into the dying minutes only to concede a heartbreaking own goal at the death.

While Sunderland have been viewed as “an easy three points” by most in recent years, the club are quickly establishing their style of play and putting in quality performances that have people quietly whispering Europe.

Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent are largely credited with Sunderland’s early success this season, as they rightfully should be. The striking partnership has combined for a total of 12 goals in eight games, with Darren Bent currently second in the Premier League’s top goalscorer list with seven goals so far this season.

The truth is, however, that the entire team has lifted their play to an extra level.

Steve Bruce has been a revelation at Sunderland, and on current form, Sunderland are good enough to give anyone in the league a run for their money. This match should be a perfect chance for Sunderland to test their ability against one of the Premier League’s best once again.

Liverpool Preview

Liverpool travel north to face Sunderland after a 2-0 loss against Chelsea before the international break.

Liverpool have been hit and miss in the opening eight matches of the season, and Rafa Benitez will surely know that a run of good results will be expected in the near future if Liverpool are to avoid falling too far off the pace.

Travelling to the Stadium of Light is not an easy task, especially given Sunderland’s recent revival, but regardless of the conditions, Benitez will be expecting his side to rise to the occasion and grab a much needed three points in this Sunderland vs Liverpool match.

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard (who is hoping to be fit in time for the Sunderland clash) have been steady contributors for Benitez this season, but sooner or later they will require someone else to step up and deliver on a regular basis.

Both Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun have contributed three goals each this season, and if Liverpool are to achieve success in the Premier League and Champions League competitions, then Benitez must have a good choice of in-form players beyond his two superstars.

Sunderland v Liverpool Predictions

In last season’s match at the Stadium of Light, the Reds were 1-0 victors. The reverse fixture at Anfield saw Liverpool also win 2-0.

Things are very different for both teams this season, however, and with Sunderland finding their form and Liverpool apparently losing theirs, this match looks to have a draw potentially written all over it.

Prediction: Sunderland 1 – Liverpool 1

Watch Sunderland v Liverpool live online here.

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Topics: English Premier League, Liverpool, Match Reports, Sunderland