Goals:

1-0: Firmino (59, moved clear of van Aanholt to nod Milner’s cross inside the far post)

2-0: Lallana (70, tapped over the line after some great work from Firmino down the left)

2-1: Johnson (82, curled a free-kick inside Mignolet’s near post which should have been saved)

2-2: Defoe (89, turned Sakho in the box before clinically picking out Mignolet’s bottom right corner)

Bookings: N’Doye (39, foul)

Referee: Robert Madley (Wakefield) – seemed to give far too many split decisions Liverpool’s way. 5

Attendance: 44,179

Entertainment: ***

              Liv  Sund

Shots on 5       2

Shots off 11     5

Corners   7       2

Offsides  2       2

Fouls      4       12

LIVERPOOOL (4-2-3-1): Mignolet 4; Clyne 5, Lovren 5 (Toure 12, 6), Sakho 4, Moreno 6; Henderson 5 (Lucas 86), Can 6; Allen 5 (Ibe 45, 7), Lallana 7, Milner 6; FIRMINO 8. Subs (not used): Ward (gk), Benteke, Sturridge, Flanagan.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1):

7 Mannone: Made a fine first half save to deny Moreno and then a crucial double stop in the second half;

4 Jones: Made a couple of mistakes and guilty of gifting the Reds possession for Lallana goal

7 Kone: Won the large share of headers and tackles which came his way

7 O’Shea: Made some important stops at crucial times but unable to stop the goals

6 van Aanholt: Missed a great chance in the second half and allowed Firmino to score the opener but still a threat;

4 Kirchhoff: Not as effective as he was against Manchester City and lost possession a few times;

5 Watmore: Hardly had chance to shine when his knee suffered damage in a fall

6 M’Vila: Given the runaround a little at times but still put the work in like he can

6 Cattermole: Didn’t see as much of the ball as he would like but still worked hard in the middle?

7 Khazri: Some nice touches, will be a big asset in the final few months of the season and had a part in the equaliser;

7 Defoe: Hardly got a look in and then struck a sweet leveller in true Defoe fashion

Subs:

N’Doye (for Watmore 25): Had to work harder defensively than he would have liked. 5

Johnson (for Kirchhoff 66): Must have been shocked to see his free-kick squirm beyond Mignolet. 6

Yedlin (for Jones 75)

(not used): Pickford (gk), Brown, Rodwell, Toivonen.

MAN OF THE MATCH: ROBERTO Firmino – looked the part at times and should have been the match-winner until Sunderland’s late flurry.