BBC: Sunderland 1-0 Liverpool

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Liverpool's faltering league form continued as they were beaten by a determined and dogged Sunderland side.

After a forgettable first half, the Black Cats took the lead when a Fraizer Campbell shot rebounded off the post and keeper Pepe Reina's head before Nicklas Bendtner side-footed in.

Liverpool brought on Steven Gerrard and Andy Carroll but to no avail.

Sunderland sat back and protected their lead against a Reds side which failed to come close to an equaliser.

Liverpool may have won the Carling Cup but the longer the season goes on the further a top four place and Champions League football gets from their grasp as they have just one league win from their last eight outings.

The gap between the Merseysiders and fourth-placed Arsenal is 10 points, with little on show during an attritional afternoon at the Stadium of Light to suggest Liverpool are capable or reeling in their rivals.

The victory moves Sunderland just two points behind Liverpool as, after just one point from nine going into the game, they quickly got their fading renaissance back on track.

Sunderland's pressure and positional discipline provided a tough challenge for a Reds side that rarely provided the guile and invention to show they were capable of breaking down their hosts.

Instead, Liverpool got drawn into a fractious affair against a Black Cats side which refused to allow the Reds to to get into any type of stride.

Both goalkeepers were hardly in action as they watched the battles in front of them before Sunderland stopper Simon Mignolet was eventually tested.

Mignolet spread himself to block an acute-angled shot from Reds striker Luis Suarez before palming over an inswinging Charlie Adam free-kick.

The defining moment of the match was then provided by Sunderland when Bendtner scored a winner typical of the bizarre nature of goals that seems to mark fixtures between the two sides.

Sunderland won here two seasons ago courtesy of the infamous beach ball goal from Darren Bent , while Liverpool beat Sunderland when they pounced on a free-kick by Michael Turner which the defender said he had not taken .

This time around Bendtner seized his chance after Campbell's shot had hit the post, rebounded on to Reina's head and then back on to the post before falling for the Sunderland striker to score.

The goal gave the home side something to protect and, despite missing key players Lee Cattermole, Stephane Sessegnon and Kieran Richardson, they managed to comfortably hold out.

The closest Liverpool came to an unlikely equaliser was when Gerrard hooked a cross back into the Sunderland box and Dirk Kuyt missed his header to epitomise the type of game the visitors endured.

Source: BBC Sport

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.