By Joel Lefevre

Seeking consecutive Premier League triumphs, Liverpool return to Anfield on Wednesday for a date with newly promoted Sunderland.

After 13 matchdays, the Reds are eighth in the table following a 2-0 win at West Ham on Sunday, while Sunderland sit sixth after coming from behind to defeat Bournemouth 3-2.

Match Preview

It’s felt like an eternity, but Liverpool finally got back in the win column this weekend, only their second victory in their last eight Premier League affairs.

The Reds will not only enter this contest on a positive note but they have points in 13 consecutive top-flight matches this month, while suffering just one domestic defeat in December this decade.

Liverpool have thrived in midweek encounters, losing only one of their previous 25 such outings in the Premier League.

Uncharacteristically, Arne Slot’s men have incurred two defeats in their last league contests at Anfield, which is as many as this club suffered in their 53 top-flight home games before that.

They haven’t lost successive home outings in this competition since going pointless in six straight Premier League affairs in between January and March 2021.

Credit: Goal.com

At the same time, the Reds have won their last dozen league contests versus newly promoted teams, and are unbeaten in their previous 10 top-flight outings against the Black Cats.

One of the biggest surprise stories of the Premier League campaign so far has been Sunderland, who are defying many pundits’ predictions that their time in the top-flight will be one and done. 

Régis Le Bris them a mere two points back of an improbable place in the Champions League, and on Wednesday can become the first French manager to win a Premier League game against the Reds since Arsenal’s Arséne Wenger in April 2015 (4-1).

While they have yet to lose a Premier League contest at home this season, they have not been so sharp outside the Stadium of Light, dropping points in four of their six outings thus far, while netting a mere three times altogether in those road contests.

Unlike the Reds, this side hasn’t been great in midweek affairs, going winless in their previous five such top-flight affairs without a single goal scored in that span.

Meanwhile, they have lost 13 of their previous 16 away matches in this competition versus reigning EPL champions, with their last such triumph coming at Old Trafford in 2013-14 over Manchester United (1-0).

Sunderland have not beaten the Reds at Anfield since 1983 (1-0) but have points in two of their previous three away matches against them, including a come-from-behind 2-2 draw in 2016 thanks to a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes.

Credit: France 24

Team News

A muscle strain may keep Conor Bradley out of the Liverpool squad in midweek, Jeremie Frimpong is questionable with a hamstring strain, Giovanni Leoni is out due to a cruciate ligament tear and Stefan Bajcetic continues to recover from hamstring surgery.

Mohamed Salah, who sat out of their weekend fixture, has scored eight times in his last seven Premier League appearances versus newly promoted teams, but Sunderland is one of four clubs he’s not netted against in this competition, with the other three being Liverpool, Luton Town and Swansea City.

Alexander Isak scored his first for the Reds in the Premier League on Sunday, with Cody Gakpo adding some insurance, while Alisson didn’t have to make a single stop for his third clean sheet domestically of the campaign.

On the Sunderland side, Habib Diarra has a sore groin, Leo Hjelde is out due to an Achilles problem, Dennis Cirkin will be questionable with a wrist injury, and Aji Alese could miss out because of a pain in his shoulder.

A great deal of the team’s early success has been thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Robin Roefs, with the Dutchman leading the league in save percentage (78.3) and goals prevented per FotMob (3.3).

Enzo Le Fée, who previously played for Le Bris in France at Lorient, converted a 30th-minute penalty to give them life against the Cherries this past weekend, with Bertrand Traoré and substitute Brian Brobbey also scoring to reverse their 2-0 deficit.

Team Line - Ups