Liverpool kept pace with Chelsea and Manchester City after a tough home win over Sunderland. David Moyes’ Sunderland kept their shape until the 75th minute before Divock Origi found the opener with an excellent curling effort. James Milner doubled the lead in the added time from the spot.
Here are three talking points from the game.
The rampant Reds knows how to break down a ‘double-decker bus’
The way Liverpool have torn apart most defences this season, the only way to play against them is to ‘park the bus’ and David Moyes did so as he promised. The Black Cats’ formation on paper was 4-3-3 but in reality, it looked like a 6-3-1 or sometimes even 9-0-1. Looking at the quality of the two sides, Sunderland had every right to play ugly against the rampant Reds and if Liverpool were good enough, they would still manage to score.
The Reds winning the game despite Sunderland playing so deep is a big plus for the and that too, after seeing their key player Coutinho being forced off with a nasty injury.
Jurgen Klopp, the perfect manager for Liverpool
With the game reaching an hour mark and the team seeing everything they do going in vain, Liverpool badly needed their twelfth man i.e. the fans. The club is known for having one of the most passionate fanbases in the world but the crowd seemed a little frustrated until Jurgen Klopp was furious with them and desperately asked them to cheer the team.
It was a pleasant scene to see the manager asking for help to his fans and the Kop did not let the German down and the players seemed to get their motivation back and responded in style. That’s what Jurgen Klopp brings to the team. Can you imagine Brendan Rodgers doing such stuff on the touchline? Liverpool and Klopp are made for each other and the German gaffer proved it yet again.
Sunderland need at least four or five quality signings in January to save their season
The quality of the Sunderland side that played against Liverpool is exceptionally poor and it was pretty evident. Moyes’ game plan for the match was perfect but the players failed to execute it with perfection. I am still wondering how players like Jason Denayer play for a Premier League side.
One might say that players like Borini and Kirchoff are missing through injuries but Sunderland clearly don’t possess enough quality to survive another season in the top tier of English football. Moyes needs to use his experience in the transfer market well in January or else, we will get to see the Black Cats playing in the Championship next season.
