SUNDERLAND did nothing to improve their position towards the Premier League’s relegation zone after Liverpool became the latest team to frustrate them at the Stadium of Light.

Lazar Markovic’s ninth minute goal proved the difference between the two teams as the Black Cats’ once again failed to find a second home league win of the season.

Sunderland, who have lost of their last four, were second best for the majority of the afternoon and Liverpool had plenty of good chances to extend their lead but wasted them.

Thousands of home supporters had left well before the end of the game after a display which lacked an attacking threat, which has become the norm on Wearside.

Sunderland midfielder Liam Bridcutt was also red carded early in the second half to make things more difficult, but even before that Gus Poyet’s side looked unlikely to win for only the fourth time in 21 league games.

Liverpool could have gone ahead earlier than they did. When Markovic coasted in to the penalty area he was shoved to the floor by Wes Brown. Despite the defender’s failure to get anywhere near the ball, referee Craig Pawson waved play on rather than award a spot-kick.

Soon after the complaints had died down from the visitors, though, it was Markovic who put Liverpool ahead. He was given far too much freedom down the right and worked his way inside. He continued his run after a little pass inside to Fabio Borini. Steven Gerrard helped it along, Markovic picked up possession again and slotted beyond Costel Pantilimon.

For the remainder of the half Sunderland offered very little and only Adam Johnson looking capable of creating anything. Liverpool’s failure to add to the lead left the door open for Gus Poyet’s side if they could improve their attacking influence.

Markovic powered a scissor kick volley against the bar from distance, while Borini should have scored after rounding Pantilimon following a lovely pass from Emre Can. Gerrard also went close with a couple of efforts.

Yet Sunderland’s chances of getting back in to it were dashed three minutes after the break when Bridcutt was dismissed. He had been booked in the first half for tripping Gerrard and then he needlessly stopped Can near the touchline. Neither foul was serious, but under the current laws of the game it was easy to see why they were dished out.

Bizarrely that lifted Sunderland. Johnson came within an inch of equalising moments later when he crashed a power drive from 25 yards off the underside of Simon Mignolet’s bar. The rebound was cleared to safety.

Sunderland had a couple of half chances, but Pantilimon remained the busier of the two keepers. Mario Balotelli, who replaced Borini, caused problems shortly after coming on and Philipe Coutinho curled low in to the hands of the Romanian shot-stopper.

For the last 13 minutes Danny Graham, back from a loan stint with Wolves, was given some time to try to impress along with Will Buckley. It meant finishing the game with two, often three, forwards, when they broke.

Sunderland still struggled to find a way through and not even the presence of Pantilimon in the Liverpool penalty area inn stoppage-time could muster an equaliser.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1): Pantilimon; Vergini, Brown, O’Shea, van Aanholt; Bridcutt; Johnson (Mandron 86), Larsson, Gomez, Giaccherini (Buckley 77); Wickham (Graham 77). Subs: Jones, Agnew, Alvarez, Mannone (gk).

LIVERPOOL (3-4-2-1): Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Markovic, Henderson, Lucas, Moreno; Gerrard (Lovren 46), Coutinho; Borini (Balotelli . Subs (not used): Ward (gk), Enrique,, Lambert, Manquillo, Rossiter.