Preview: Sunderland vs Liverpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Two Premier League teams keen to make a swift return to winning ways butt heads at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night, as Sunderland play host to reigning champions Liverpool.

The Black Cats and the Reds meet just over two months on from playing out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at Anfield where Nordi Mukiele’s own goal rescued a point late on for Arne Slot's side.

Match preview

Liverpool were on course to claim three valuable points heading into the final 10 minutes of Sunday’s showdown with Man City, but Dominik Szoboszlai’s wonderful free kick was cancelled out by a tap-in from Bernardo Silva, before Erling Haaland converted a 93rd-minute penalty to snatch a 2-1 victory for the visitors in dramatic fashion.

Dropping points late in matches has become a problem for the Reds, who have now conceded four 90th-minute winners in the top flight this season, already the joint-most by a team in a single league campaign with 13 games still to play, after Watford in 2017-18 and 2021-22, West Ham in 2021-22, and Southampton in 2024-25.

Defeat for Liverpool represents their eighth in the Premier League this season, twice as many as last season when they won the title, and head coach Arne Slot has a tricky task on his hands to secure Champions League qualification, as his side down in sixth spot have slipped five points behind Man United in fourth.

The Merseysiders can ill-afford to drop too many more points following a poor run of just one win in their last seven Premier League games (D4 L2). They can at least take some comfort from the fact that they head into Wednesday’s clash with Sunderland unbeaten in their last 19 top-flight matches against promoted teams (W14 D5).

However, Liverpool have won just two of their last 10 Premier League away games (D3 L5) and have remarkably conceded 21 goals across 12 matches on the road this season, more than basement club Wolves (20). In addition, all three of Liverpool’s top-flight defeats to Sunderland have come away from home, though they are unbeaten in their last five visits to the Stadium of Light (W3 D2).

Sunderland have struggled for consistency in recent weeks, as they have won three, drawn four and lost three of their last 10 Premier League games, alternating between defeat and victory in each of their last five matches.

Just five days after easing to a 3-0 home win over Burnley, the Black Cats fell to a defeat by the same scoreline away against table-toppers Arsenal last weekend, a result which has seen them slip down to ninth in the top-flight standings but only three points behind their next opponents Liverpool in sixth.

Regis Le Bris’s men will welcome Wednesday’s return to the Stadium of Light where they have collected 72.2% of their Premier League points this season (26/36); only Arsenal (32), Man City (29) and Man United (27) have picked up more on home soil.

Sunderland are also the only Premier League team yet to lose at home this term; their 12-game unbeaten run represents the longest by a promoted team from the start of a top-flight campaign since 1977-78 when Nottingham Forest enjoyed 21-game undefeated streak en route to winning the title.

The Black Cats head into their clash with Liverpool having won three of their last five Premier League home matches against the reigning champions (L2), including the last two against Chelsea (May 2016) and Leicester City (December 2016); only six teams have ever won at least three in a row, most recently Chelsea between 2016 and 2020.

However, Sunderland are winless in their last 11 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D5 L6) since a 1-0 home triumph in March 2012. They have also scored just 19 goals in 33 top-flight games against the Reds (0.6 per game). Of all teams to face an opponent at least 30 times, only Middlesbrough (0.5 versus Chelsea) have a lower goals-per-game average.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Sunderland form (all competitions):

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Team News

Sunderland star Granit Xhaka and January signing Jocelin Ta Bi are both sidelined with ankle injuries, while Bertrand Traore (knee) is yet to play for the Black Cats since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations and a late call will be made on his availability.

In the absence of Xhaka, Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra are expected to link up in centre-midfield, with Enzo Le Fee operating in the number 10 role behind central striker Brian Brobbey, who has scored three of his five Premier League goals at the Stadium of Light.

Trai Hume could continue in an advanced role on the right wing as Chemsdine Talbi retains his spot on the opposite flank – the latter scored in Sunderland’s draw at Anfield and could become the first Black Cats player to net in both home and away encounters against Liverpool since Stan Cummins in 1980-81.

As for Liverpool, Alexander Isak (leg), Jeremie Frimpong (thigh), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) are all sidelined with injuries, while Wednesday’s game will also come too soon for Joe Gomez (hip).

After scoring his superb free kick against Man City, Szoboszlai was send off in the closing stages for denying a goalscoring opportunity and will now serve a one-match suspension against Sunderland. Curtis Jones is seemingly the most likely candidate to start a right-back as a result.

While striker Hugo Ekitike has failed to score in five of his last six Premier League matches, Mohamed Salah has not scored a top-flight goal since November 1. Nevertheless, both players are expected to continue in the final third along with Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Sadiki, Diarra; Hume, Le Fee, Talbi; Brobbey

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

We say: Sunderland 1-1 Liverpool

A response is required from Liverpool following their recent Premier League setback, and while they may enter Wednesday’s contest as favourites to secure all three points, Sunderland are yet to lose at home and will make themselves difficult to break down once again.

Another closely-contested battle is in store, and with the Reds not quite firing on all cylinders at present, we are backing the Black Cats to claim at least a share of the spoils in front of a fired-up capacity crowd.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.