After suffering a last-gasp loss to Manchester City during the weekend, things won’t get any easier for Liverpool as they head to one of the toughest grounds in the entire Premier League. Heading to the Stadium of Light to face newly promoted Sunderland, Arne Slot’s Reds will look to become the first team in the league to take all three points off of them at home. The Black Cats have seven wins and five draws in front of their home fans, and that’s a crucial reason as to why the Black Cats could be on track for a finish in the top half.
How to watch Sunderland vs. Liverpool, odds
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11 | Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Stadium of Light — Sunderland, England
- Live stream: Peacock
- Odds: Sunderland +350; Draw +300; Liverpool -133
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Their form has dropped as of late, and Sunderland will be without a critical cog in the team with midfielder Granit Xhaka missing out due to injury, but Liverpool will also have their own major absence as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended due to being sent off when facing Manchester City. One of Liverpool’s most consistent performers this season, not having Szoboszlai will put more pressure on Florian Wirtz in attack.
Sunderland’s defense is a tough one to break down, and with the improving form of Chelsea and Manchester United, there’s a strong chance that the Reds will miss out on Champions League soccer altogether next season. Dropping more points when they’re already six points behind United in fourth will only make it more likely that Liverpool misses out on the Champions League, especially with Brentford and Everton closely trailing them. To put into context how strange this season has been for Liverpool, Everton haven’t finished above Liverpool since the 2012-13 season. That year, an Everton team coached by David Moyes finished sixth, with Liverpool finishing seventh.
Liverpool may have a game in hand on the Toffees, but Moyes is lurking with a chance to accomplish a similar feat 13 years later. If that does somehow happen, it’d be a significant decline from being only a season removed from lifting the Premier League title. If Liverpool want to stave off any chance that their rivals can catch them, it all begins with becoming the first team to defeat Sunderland at home.
