Home   >   MOTDs   >   MOTD- Sunderland 1-3 Liverpool

MOTD- Sunderland 1-3 Liverpool

By on September 29, 2013
Luis Suarez celebrates his second goal of the match

Luis Suarez celebrates his second goal of the match

Luis Suarez marked his league return from a ten-match ban with two goals against an aggressive Sunderland side as Liverpool took a 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light to climbed back up to second in the Premier League.  Although a Sunderland side coming fresh out of former manager Paolo Di Canio’s sacking put up a excellent fight, they found Suarez in the way.

The Uruguayan made only his second competitive appearance since April, but returned on hot form, keeping Sunderland rock bottom of the Premier League despite caretaker Kevin Ball’s side producing a strong effort.  The Black Cats even managed a intensive start to the match, pressuring Liverpool high up the field in the opening minutes.  Yet Liverpool were denied a goal in the tenth minute when Steven Gerard curled a low free-kick towards the corner from the edge of the box, which Sunderland goalkeeper Ashley Westwood managed to parry out.  But Westwood’s block rebounded out to Martin Skrtel who volleyed it into the back of the open net, only to have the goal disallowed for offside.

Sunderland kept up their pressure, and nearly found an opener in the twenty-third minute through a twenty-five yard free-kick.  Sebastian Larsson stepped up to take the kick, and his curling effort was magnificently tipped onto the crossbar by Simon Mignolet.  But only seconds later Larsson was ruing his missed free-kick, with Liverpool grabbing the lead when Gerard swung a corner from the left towards the back post.  An unmarked Daniel Sturridge ducked down to head it into the bottom corner, yet he missed the ball with his head and ended up pushing it home using his forearm.

Although the goal came from nowhere, Liverpool doubled their lead just eight minutes later in the thirty-sixth minute.  Gerard drove a long ball to Sturridge, who tore down the left flank before cutting it back to Suarez.  The forward could hardly miss at the back post, and coolly tapped his first goal of the campaign into the back of the net from two yards.

Sunderland produced a sharp reaction, and after Craig Gardner slashed a fierce volley which Mignolet tipped wide, Adam Johnson curled a wonderful effort just over the bar from fifteen yards.  As the match rolled on to the second half the home side continued their dominance, pinning Liverpool into their own half.  Ball’s side came close to starting a comeback in the fifty-first minute when Lee Cattermole played it to Johnson on twenty-five yards out from goal, only to see the winger’s low driven shot zip inches wide of the post.

But Sunderland did get a reward for their effort seconds later as Ki Sugn-Yueng’s low bobbling long range shot was parried by Mignolet into the path of the onrushing Emanuele Giaccherini, who coolly tapped it into the bottom corner of the net.  Ball’s side attempted to launch a late comeback but Liverpool put the game to bed in the eighty-eighth minute when Henderson slipped the ball into Sturridge down the left side of the Sunderland box.  Sturridge blew past Carlos Cuellar before playing it across the goal to Suarez, who snapped a shot into the bottom corner of the net to put Liverpool 3-1 up.  At this Sunderland knew it was over, and after three minutes of added time the match ended 3-1, leaving Sunderland left with only one point from six matches.
Man of the Match: Luis Suarez

 

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.