Sunderland v Liverpool: Premier League – live

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Shoogly Peg latest. At the start of the season, if you’d been told one of tonight’s managers would be worried about the status of their coat on the aforementioned hanging point, your concerns would surely have been with Régis Le Bris. Ah but.

Sunderland make one change to their starting XI after the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal. It’s an attacking one: Nilson Angulo comes in for Chemsdine Talbi, who drops to the bench. Captain and all-round influencer Granit Xhaka is still missing.

Liverpool make two changes to their starting line-up in the wake of their 2-1 loss to Manchester City. One is enforced: Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended so Wataru Endo takes his place as stand-in right-back. Meanwhile in the other full-back position, Andy Robertson comes in for Milos Kerkez, who is benched.

The teams

Sunderland: Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Mandava, Sadiki, Le Fee, Hume, Diarra, Angulo, Brobbey.
Subs: Ellborg, Cirkin, Geertruida, Talbi, Rigg, Mayenda, O’Nien, Mundle, Isidor.

Liverpool: Alisson, Endo, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Jones, Nyoni, Ramsay, Morrison, Ngumoha.

Referee: Chris Kavanagh
VAR: Darren England

Preamble

Sunderland haven’t beaten Liverpool for the best part of 14 years, since the days of Nicklas Bendtner and Kenny Dalglish. Before that, it was That Beachball Game in 2009. And yet despite these slim pickings, the Black Cats go into tonight’s fixture full of hope. Newly promoted Sunderland are delighted to be sitting pretty in mid-table; reigning champions Liverpool, just three points better off, aren’t feeling quite so comfy. Sunderland are unbeaten at home in this campaign; Liverpool haven’t won on the road in the League since before Christmas, and that at Spurs, which isn’t exactly a cap-enhancing feather right now. Sunderland have won their last two at home; Liverpool have lost two of their last three League fixtures, the latest in farcical fashion.

So you can see why Sunderland and the Stadium of Light faithful might fancy this. But Liverpool will be buoyed by results going their way last night, an opportunity to haul themselves back in the race for next season’s Champions League suddenly presenting itself. With time running out for the champions to get their season back on some semblance of track, they’ll surely be desperate for three points tonight, and will act accordingly. The hosts – who have already held Arsenal and Manchester City at home – will be unwilling to bend to their desire. All of which tees up the possibility of high drama, fun, entertainment, controversy, farce, and so on, and so forth. Fingers crossed, anyway. Kick-off is at 8.15pm GMT. It’s on!