Player Ratings: Liverpool 2 -1 Sunderland

Liverpool breathed a huge sigh of relief after they survived a nervous end to the game to beat Sunderland 2-1. Gerrard and Sturridge put the Reds 2-0 up before Ki’s goal on 76 minutes made the Kop edgy. Liverpool dominated the early stages but had to wait until late in the first half for the first goal. They will be pleased they came through a tricky game in which Sunderland, playing five defenders and two holding midfielders, tried to stifle the game.

Here are my player ratings:

Simon Mignolet 6 / 10

Had little to do for most of the game as Liverpool dominated. One good save to stop Wickham’s deflected goal bound effort. Took too long with the ball at his feet, and under pressure sometimes cleared poorly. Still needs to improve in this regard but an excellent shot stopper.

Daniel Agger 7 / 10

Won his headers and made some excellent diving blocks. Distributed really well, finding Gerrard and Coutinho often when under pressure. Was strong under the physical challenge of Altidore and Wickham.

Martin Skrtel 5 / 10

Dealt with physical challenges reasonably well but was hardly tested until later in the game. Missed some key headers, and was uncharacteristically berated by Gerrard when he let Altidore have a free header 6 yards out that could have led to the equalising goal. Despite playing consistently well this season, still has the tendency to switch off at times.

Jon Flanagan 6 / 10

An improved performance after a poor showing against Cardiff. Solid in the tackle and very tidy distribution, with some nice triangle passing with Agger and Allen. Lost his man for the goal, but the fault should really lie with Skrtel and Agger who failed to win the ball at the near post. Needs to get forward much more and learn from Johnson.

Glen Johnson 8 / 10

Liverpool’s best player in the first half, consistently getting up and down the pitch and causing plenty of problems playing virtually as a winger. Could have had a goal and/or assist but for some good blocks from opposition players. Did his defensive work diligently throughout. Back to his best following recovery from injury.

Steven Gerrard 8 / 10

Showed great leadership on the field, as he patiently rebuilt attacks throughout the game. Worked hard to cover defensively. Scored a brilliant freekick and was organising the team defensively when Liverpool were under the cosh late in the game. Great performance.

Joe Allen 7 / 10

Very diligent and covered a huge amount of ground. Willing to get forward, though still conservative with his passing in the final third. Helped dominate the midfield and moved the ball quickly, attempting to maintain a good tempo.

Jordan Henderson 6 / 10

Energetic and filled in well defensively to support Gerrard or when Johnson got forward. Was given plenty of space to play, and given the defensive tactics of Sunderland could have got into the box more often rather than continually sitting back. Solid if unspectacular performance.

Philippe Coutinho 8 / 10

Liverpool’s star man as Sunderland were unable to get near him all game. Jinked, swivelled and twisted his way around the middle playing clever passes but always with a view forward. Made the through pass that led to the Suarez foul that led itself to the first goal, and should have been a Red card for Vergini. Some samba football in the second half and if Suarez was less selfish he may have got a goal. Needs to maintain this level consistently game after game.

Luis Suarez 6 / 10

Tireless effort but looked over eager to win the Golden Shoe, often passing up passing to teamates in better positions in favour of shooting from tight angles. Won the freekick that led to Gerrard’s freekick goal, but if his first touch had been better would have been cleanly through. Got into some dangerous positions but miscontrolled or missed his pass. Not his best performance, but his hold up play and ability to terrify the opposition defenders was still an important part of Liverpool’s victory.

Daniel Sturridge 7 / 10

Very quiet in the first half as he struggled to find space against the mass of deep defending Sunderland players. Looked visibly frustrated on a couple of occassions with his own play. However after Gerrard’s goal the game opened up, and he found a lot more space and hence a lot more joy. Caused a lot of problems in the second half. Scored a terrific goal with the help of a small deflection and hit the bar with a curling right footed shot. Had another goal bound effort accidentally blocked by Suarez.

Substitutes

Raheem Sterling 6 / 10

Although unfortunate to have lost his place as Rodgers has gone with Allen in a diamond formation, has kept his chin up and looked to make an impact off the bench. Although he lost the ball a couple of times upfield, he tracked back quickly to help Johnson and Henderson.

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