Sunderland vs Liverpool – News and Probable Lineups

On Wednesday evening, two Premier League clubs eager to bounce back from recent disappointments will clash at the Stadium of Light, as Sunderland welcomes the defending champions Liverpool.

The Black Cats and the Reds face off just over two months after their previous encounter ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Anfield, where a late own goal by Nordi Mukiele salvaged a point for Arne Slot’s team.

Match overview

Liverpool seemed poised to secure three crucial points as they headed into the last 10 minutes of their match against Manchester City on Sunday, but a stunning free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai was matched by a close-range goal from Bernardo Silva, before Erling Haaland converted a penalty in the 93rd minute to give the visitors a dramatic 2-1 win.

Having dropped points late in matches has become a concern for the Reds, with four 90th-minute goals against them in the league this season, equaling the record for most by a team in a single campaign with 13 matches still to go, joining Watford in 2017-18 and 2021-22, West Ham in 2021-22, and Southampton in 2024-25.

This loss marks Liverpool’s eighth in the Premier League this season, double the amount they suffered last season when they claimed the title, leaving head coach Arne Slot facing a challenging task in securing Champions League qualification, as his squad sits in sixth position, trailing five points behind Man United in fourth.

The Merseysiders must avoid dropping any more points, having managed just one victory in their last seven league outings (D4 L2). They can take solace in their unbeaten streak of 19 top-flight matches against promoted teams leading into the midweek match with Sunderland (W14 D5).

Nevertheless, Liverpool has achieved just two wins in their last 10 away matches in the Premier League (D3 L5) and have surprisingly conceded 21 goals in 12 league games on the road this season, which is more than last-place Wolves (20). Moreover, all three of Liverpool’s Premier League losses to Sunderland have occurred away from home, although they are unbeaten in their last five visits to the Stadium of Light (W3 D2).

Sunderland has faced difficulties in maintaining form in recent weeks, managing three wins, four draws, and three losses in their last 10 Premier League encounters, alternating between defeats and victories during their last five outings.

Just five days after securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over Burnley at home, the Black Cats faced a 3-0 defeat away to league leaders Arsenal last weekend, dropping them to ninth place in the standings, only three points behind their forthcoming opponents, Liverpool, who sit in sixth.

Regis Le Bris’s men will be pleased to return to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, where they have earned 72.2% of their Premier League points this season (26 out of 36); only Arsenal (32), Manchester City (29), and Man United (27) have accrued more points on home ground.

Furthermore, Sunderland is the only Premier League team that remains unbeaten at home this season; their 12-match unbeaten streak represents the longest by a newly promoted team from the start of a top-flight campaign since Nottingham Forest’s 21-game undefeated run in 1977-78 when they went on to claim the title.

The Black Cats approach their clash with Liverpool having triumphed in three of their last five home matches against the defending champions (L2), including the last two against Chelsea (May 2016) and Leicester City (December 2016); only six teams have achieved three consecutive victories in such matchups, the most recent being Chelsea from 2016 to 2020.

However, Sunderland has not won in their last 11 Premier League encounters with Liverpool (D5 L6) since a 1-0 success at home in March 2012. They have scored a mere 19 goals in 33 top-flight meetings with the Reds (0.6 goals per game). Among teams facing an opponent at least 30 times, only Middlesbrough (0.5 against Chelsea) has a lower goals-per-game ratio.

Team News

Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka and January acquisition Jocelin Ta Bi will both be out with ankle injuries, while Bertrand Traore (knee) has yet to feature for the Black Cats following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, with a late decision pending on his availability.

In the absence of Xhaka, Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra are anticipated to pair in central midfield, with Enzo Le Fee taking on the number 10 role behind striker Brian Brobbey, who has netted three of his five Premier League goals at the Stadium of Light.

Trai Hume could maintain his position in an advanced role on the right wing while Chemsdine Talbi continues on the left – the latter scored during Sunderland’s draw at Anfield and could become the first player for the Black Cats to score in both home and away fixtures against Liverpool since Stan Cummins in the 1980-81 season.

For Liverpool, Alexander Isak (leg), Jeremie Frimpong (thigh), Conor Bradley (knee), and Giovanni Leoni (knee) are all sidelined due to injuries, while Joe Gomez (hip) is unlikely to recover in time for Wednesday’s match.

After impressively scoring a superb free kick against Manchester City, Szoboszlai was sent off late in the game for denying a goalscoring opportunity and will now miss the clash with Sunderland due to a one-match suspension. Curtis Jones is now the frontrunner to start at right-back in his absence.

While striker Hugo Ekitike has not scored in five of his last six Premier League appearances, Mohamed Salah has been without a league goal since November 1. However, both are expected to feature in the attacking lineup alongside Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo.

Sunderland probable starting XI

Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Sadiki, Diarra; Hume, Le Fee, Talbi; Brobbey

Liverpool probable starting XI

Alisson; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Liverpool will be eager to respond following their recent league setback, and while they are favored to come away with all three points on Wednesday, Sunderland remains unbeaten at home and will present a tough challenge once again.