LIVERPOOL 2 SUNDERLAND 0:LIVERPOOL SHOWED commendable spirit for what to all intents and purposes represented a wake at Anfield. Rafael Benitez, his players and their supporters have been in mourning since the club's title aspirations were carelessly left behind in the north-east on Saturday but they responded as duty called last night.
Goals from David Ngog and Yossi Benayoun were an eloquent retort to those who have condemned the lack of strength in Benitez’s squad these past few days and confirmed, as the manager had demanded, Liverpool will not go quietly from the pursuit of Manchester United if nothing else.
There was a funereal air to Anfield but victory over Ricky Sbragia’s well-marshalled Sunderland team ensured there will be no drawn-out inquests in the week leading up to their defining Champions League second leg against Real Madrid.
Benitez had demanded an instant reaction to Saturday’s defeat at Middlesbrough but Liverpool almost succumbed to the worst possible start when Kenwyne Jones slipped through their defence with Sunderland’s first attack. Only three minutes were on the clock when Jones collected Tal Ben-Haim’s pass and skipped around Martin Skrtel. There was little conviction in the striker even as he raced clear towards the Kop, however, and a weak finish enabled Jose Reina to grant Liverpool a valuable reprieve.
For the second successive game Liverpool fielded a surprising defensive line-up. Javier Mascherano began where he finished unconvincingly at The Riverside, at right back, with Skrtel restored to his natural central role alongside Jamie Carragher and Emiliano Insua recalled to give Liverpool a pair of Argentinian full backs. Ngog was handed his first Premier League start as Benitez sought to inject potency into a Liverpool attack that presented none on Teesside. With Fernando Torres absent again with an ankle injury and his return against Real Madrid next week in doubt, the pace and movement of the French youngster brought some improvement in that respect.
The league debutant almost capitalised on a scramble inside the Sunderland area as Liverpool gradually forced the visitors on to the defensive, while Dirk Kuyt drew the first save of the game from Marton Fulop with a low shot from the edge of the area. The Sunderland goalkeeper also produced an excellent save when Albert Riera’s shot appeared destined for his bottom corner courtesy of a deflection off Grant Leadbitter.
Mascherano’s energy up and down the right flank compensated for his occasional drift out of position, and a powerful drive from the midfielder flew narrowly over as Fulop elected to watch the effort pass by. As so often with Liverpool, however, their forays forward appeared based more on hope than any orchestrated purpose, and they have now scored only seven first-half goals in their last 15 league games at Anfield.
A furious Arsene Wenger had accused Sbragia and Sunderland of being disinterested in playing football in the recent goalless draw at The Emirates. The charge could not be levelled at the visitors here, but the defensive discipline that served them so well in north London also differed and one incisive Liverpool break altered Anfield’s anxious mind-set just seven minutes after the restart.
Riera performed a winger’s duties to perfection when he slipped outside Ben-Haim and chipped a cross towards the back of the Sunderland area. Arriving unmarked was Steven Gerrard, the last man to leave unattended in that situation, and an intelligent header back across Fulop enabled Ngog to mark his full league debut with his first league goal.
The former PSG striker had a pivotal role in sealing victory 13 minutes later. A skied clearance off Danny Collins fell to Ngog inside the area who attempted an overhead kick that should have been comfortable for a goalkeeper in Fulop’s form. Remarkably, Fulop spilled the ball at the feet of Benayoun and the hero of the Bernabeu made no mistake.
Guardian Service
LIVERPOOL:Reina, Mascherano, Skrtel, Carragher, Insua, Benayoun (El Zhar 90), Gerrard (Babel 82), Alonso, Riera, Kuyt, Ngog (Lucas 70). Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Aurelio. Booked: Ngog.
SUNDERLAND:Fulop, Ben-Haim, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Malbranque (Edwards 81), Whitehead, Reid, Leadbitter (Cisse 62), Richardson, Jones (Murphy 76). Subs Not Used: Gordon, Bardsley, Davenport, Healy. Booked: Whitehead.
Referee:Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
