Sunderland vs Liverpool: Team News, Form Guide and Key Stats Ahead of Premier League Clash

Liverpool travel to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday looking to arrest a worrying slide in form as they face a Sunderland side whose home record has been one of the stories of the Premier League season.

Both teams arrive on the back of damaging defeats. Sunderland were swept aside 3-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates, while Liverpool suffered a dramatic 2-1 loss to Manchester City at Anfield. That result handed City their first league double over Liverpool since 1937 and was overshadowed by chaos in stoppage time, when Rayan Cherki’s 90+10th-minute goal was disallowed following a tussle between Erling Haaland and Dominik Szoboszlai. Szoboszlai was subsequently sent off, ruling him out of this fixture.

The match comes just over two months after the sides played out a 1-1 draw at Anfield, when Nordi Mukiele’s late own goal salvaged a point for Arne Slot’s team. That encounter typified a growing issue for Liverpool, who have developed a habit of dropping points late in matches. They have now conceded four 90th-minute winners in the league this season, already equalling the highest tally recorded by a team with 13 games still remaining.

Defeat against Manchester City was Liverpool’s seventh loss in their last nine Premier League outings and leaves them sixth in the table, five points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United.

Liverpool have won only two of their last 10 league games away from home and have conceded 21 goals in 12 away matches, more than Wolves, who are currently battling relegation with 20 conceded on the road. All three of Liverpool’s Premier League defeats to Sunderland have come away from home, although they are unbeaten in their last five visits to the Stadium of Light.

There are also individual concerns in attack. Hugo Ekitike has scored just once in his last six league appearances, while Mohamed Salah has not found the net in the Premier League since 1 November a drought that has coincided with Liverpool’s loss of momentum and cutting edge in key moments.

Sunderland, meanwhile, continue to defy expectations in their first season back in the top flight. Despite the heavy defeat in north London, Regis Le Bris’s side remain ninth, only three points behind Liverpool, and have shown a remarkable ability to respond to setbacks. Their last 10 league matches have produced three wins, four draws and three defeats, with results alternating between victory and loss across their past five games.

The foundation of their campaign has been their formidable home form. Sunderland have collected 26 of their 36 league points at the Stadium of Light, accounting for more than 72 per cent of their total. Only Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United have accumulated more home points this season. They are also the only Premier League side yet to lose at home, boasting a 12-match unbeaten run — the longest by a promoted team from the start of a top-flight campaign since Nottingham Forest’s famous 1977-78 season, when they went on to win the league.

Encouragingly for the hosts, they have won three of their last five home league matches against reigning champions. However, less favourably in this particular fixture, Sunderland have not beaten Liverpool in the Premier League since March 2012 and are winless in their last 11 meetings, drawing five and losing six.

With both sides sitting close together in the table, the contest carries significant implications for the race for European qualification. A Sunderland victory would lift them above Liverpool, while another defeat for Slot’s team would deepen concerns over their fading top-four hopes.

Sunderland will be without Granit Xhaka and January signing Jocelin Ta Bi, who are both sidelined with ankle injuries. Bertrand Traore remains unavailable with a knee problem and has yet to feature since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool’s injury list remains lengthy. Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are all ruled out, while Joe Gomez is not expected to return in time following a hip injury. Szoboszlai is suspended after his red card against Manchester City, with Curtis Jones the leading candidate to fill in at right-back.

As pressure mounts on both managers for different reasons, Wednesday’s meeting promises to be a revealing test. Sunderland will aim to extend their remarkable home run, while Liverpool arrive desperate for a response that could reignite their stuttering Premier League campaign.