Liverpool v Sunderland [Premier League]

Match preview

Liverpool can move within a point of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea if they beat Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday. Fans of the club are dreaming of their 19th English top-flight title, and first since 1990, after a run of six successive league wins.

Brendan Rodgers' team have scored 24 goals in the process of those victories, taking their total for the season to 82 in just 30 matches, and their 6-3 win at Cardiff City on Saturday showed they have the mettle required for a title fight. Twice they came from behind in an enthralling encounter, and Rodgers has called on the club's supporters to create a special atmosphere for the Sunderland clash as they return to home soil for the first time in a month.

"We're really looking forward to playing at Anfield now on Wednesday night," Rodgers told Liverpool's website. "Hopefully the supporters can really get behind the team well before kick-off, get the atmosphere revved up for the game and we'll look to continue on this great run. As you can see, we believe we can perform well and get results."

Liverpool forward Luis Suarez again stole the headlines at Cardiff, scoring a hat-trick to take his tally to 28 goals in just 25 Barclays Premier League appearances this season. He is comfortably ahead of his nearest rival in the scoring charts, his team-mate Daniel Sturridge with 19, and was the main man in Liverpool's 3-1 win at Sunderland in September, scoring twice. The prolific partnership between Suarez and Sturridge has been one of the main reasons for Liverpool's success.

Rodgers also has a relatively clean bill of health coming into the business end of the season, with just defenders Sebastian Coates and Jose Enrique (both knee) missing. Lucas and Mamadou Sakho have recently returned from knee and hamstring injuries respectively and will look to play a part in the title run-in.

Sunderland's form is in stark contrast to that of their hosts, with the Wearsiders winless in their last four Barclays Premier League outings. Gus Poyet's side, who are 18th, slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Norwich City on Saturday. They remain three points adrift of safety, but have up to three matches in hand on their relegation rivals.

Sunderland could be without striker Steven Fletcher (ankle) again, and they recalled England Under-21 forward Connor Wickham from his loan spell at Leeds United on Monday. Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood remains on the sidelines with a shoulder injury for Sunderland, who have not won at Anfield since 1983-84, a season in which Liverpool went on to win the league.

Liverpool from: Jones, Mignolet, Agger, Cissokho, Coates, Enrique, Flanagan, Johnson, Kelly, Sakho, Skrtel, Toure, Alberto, Allen, Gerrard, Henderson, Lucas, Aspas, Coutinho, Moses, Sterling, Sturridge, Suarez.

Sunderland from: Mannone, Pickford, Ustari, Alonso, Bardsley, Brown, Celustka, Cuellar, Dossena, O'Shea, Vergini, Roberge, Ba, Bridcutt, Cattermole, Colback, Gardner, Giaccherini, Johnson, Ki, Larsson, Mavrias, Altidore, Borini, Fletcher, Scocco, Wickham.

Match Appointments
Referee: Kevin Friend. Assistants: P Kirkup, A Garratt. Fourth Official: A Taylor.

Attached Images

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