Liverpool may have been knocked off the top of the Premier League table last weekend thanks to a draw at Southampton, but they created enough goalscoring chances in that game to still be a thoroughly frightening prospect for second bottom Sunderland.
However, the black cats are on a roll right now, winning their last two matches and pushing up the table. A win at Anfield is unlikely, but would be a sensational way to move them towards mid-table, and with Jermain Defoe in the side, anything can happen.
Here are three key stats ahead of the game:
1. Liverpool have never lost a Premier League game at home to Sunderland
That’s right. Over 15 matches in the Premier League at Anfield between the two sides, Liverpool have never lost to the Black Cats.
That does not tell the whole story, though. The Reds have also only beaten Sunderland on seven occasions in the league, drawing eight times in their 15 meetings.
That eighth draw was a 2-2 result last season, when Jermain Defoe and the now disgraced Adam Johnson struck late on to rescue a point from 2-0 down.