Liverpool v Sunderland - as it happened

Kick-off is at 4pm. Sixth-placed Liverpool have won their last seven at Anfield and need to keep winning if they're to maintain their push for fourth in the table and the place in the Champions League qualifying rounds that goes with it. Their opening day win at Bolton's Reebok Stadium aside, Sunderland's away form has been pretty dismal this season, but they've hit a long overdue run of decent form recently, drawing three (Aston Villa, Man City and Fulham) and winning two (Birmingham and Bolton) of their last five. I genuinely think they're going to get a decent result at Anfield today ... much as I thought Aston Villa would get a decent result at Stamford Bridge yesterday and Portsmouth would get a decent result against Chelsea at Fratton Park during the week. Mystic Meg has nothing on me. You can find out all the latest scores from across the UK and Europe right here , and what it all means for the league standings with our stats centre . Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Maxi, Mascherano, Gerrard, Babel, Kuyt, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Ngog, El Zhar. Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Turner, Cana, Ferdinand, Campbell, Henderson, Cattermole, Richardson, Malbranque, Bent. Subs: Carson, Zenden, Jones, Da Silva, Kilgallon, Mwaruwari, Liddle. Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) Some stats from our squad sheets ... • Sunderland have lost just one of their last nine league games but have picked up one win from their last 25 away matches. • Liverpool have won each of the five games that substitute Alberto Aquilani has started in the league this season, conceding one goal. • Liverpool have hit the goal frame 14 times this season, more than any other side. • Darren Bent has been caught offside 48 times this season – more than any other player in the division. • Liverpool have won their last seven games at home An email from Gary Naylor: "I cannot believe that The Guardian have allocated this MBM to you, as you are so biased against Liverpool," writes the ardent Evertonian. "Well done Guardian - perfect for the job!" Meanwhile, this from Nick Smith: "Can we have a Jan Molby award for the player that most resembles a beach-ball during the 90 minutes?" he asks. "My money is on Insua, Kuyt is too obvious." Fan protest news: Having failed to crack their contemptible American owners by marching from a pub they were going to be in anyway to matches they were going to attend anyway, Liverpool's fans are believed to be planning a post-match protest against Waldorf and Statler in the ground after the final whistle. "Down with this sort of thing!" "Careful now!" Sky are broadcasting an interview with Darren Bent , in which he reveals that he didn't get a goalscoring bonus for the beachball goal he "scored" in the fixture between the two sides at the Stadium of Light last year. He goes on to show some nifty fingerwork on the Xbox controller, playing Call Of Duty, a game he plays with team-mates Kieran Richardson, Frizer Campbell and Kenwyne Jones. Aidan Gibson slots home the penalty kick: "Will the post match protest involve the Liverpool fans marching from the ground they were going to be in anyway to the pub they already started at?" he asks. "Maybe they should wear blue and white scarves, the colours of the original team that copied from Everton." Not long now: With no Jamie Redknapp or Ruud Gullit in the studio, Robbie Fowler and Super Kevin Phillips are the guests today and a breath of good humoured, amicable and insightful fresh air they are too. Their chat finished, Richard Keys hands over to Martin Tyler and Andy Gray in the commentary box. The line-ups: Both sides are expected to line up playing 4-4-2 formations, with everyone playing much where you'd expect to find them. The exception, perhaps, is in the Sunderland ranks, where Kieran Richardson will play at left-back, allowing the returning Lorik Cana to slot into the centre of midfield. 1 min: The players go through the pre-match motions, with Liverpool in their customary home strip and Sunderland's players wearing white duds with black sleeves. Liverpool kick off playing away from the Kop end. 2 min: Malbranque gives away a cheap free-kick on the right flank and Steven Gerrard swings the ball across the corridor of uncertainty between goalkeeper and defenders. Agger gets on the end of his cross and Gordon is forced to beat away an otherwise goal-bound effort. 3 min: Sunderland win a throw-in halfway inside the Liverpool half and Kieron Richardson flings the ball towards Darren Bent. Glen Johnson heads clear. GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Sunderland (Torres 3) That's a marvellous goal from Torres. Picking up a punt from Reina on the left wing, he glides forward past Bardsley, turns Michael Turner inside out and curls a right-footed shot across the face of goal, over Craig Gordon and in the top right-hand corner. That was unstoppable - he placed it perfectly. 5 min: Kieron Richardson scurries down the left flank and sends a cross towards the near post. Jamie Carragher hacks the ball into Row Z. It's his 620th appearance for Liverpool today - the same number notched up by Alan Hansen. 7 min: "You are truly brilliant," writes Michael Ollier. "Can you give me the lottery numbers for next week?" It's early doors, Michael. Early doors. There's a lot of football to be played in this game yet. 7 min: Good work by Glen Johnson, who goes on a rampaging run down the right flank, gets in behind the Sunderland defence and sends in a cross to the far post. Ryan Babel rises highest and knocks the ball down for Dirk Kuyt, but Sunderland hack clear. 9 min: A Sunderland clearance drops kindly for Javier Mascherano, who tries his luck with a volley from 30 yards. His effort was going wide when Richardson headed clear. 11 min: Jamie Carragher sends a diagonal cross-field ball over towards Dernando Torres on the left flank, but a Sunderland player intervenes and puts the ball out for a throw-in. 13 min: Anton Ferdinand is forced to concede a throw-in deep inside his own half after Dirk Kuyt takes the ball past Cana. From the ensuing throw-in, Michael Turner is forced to hook an awkward Emiliano Insua cross from the left out for a corner to prevent Fernando Torres getting on the end of it. Turner was facing his own goal and stretching - that could have gone hideously wrong. 14 min: The corner is played short and Steven Gerrard tees up Javier Mascherano for another shot from distance. The Argentinian's low drive fizzes three or four feet wide of the left upright. 16 min: After tremendous build-up play from Liverpool, Fernando Torres gets on the end of a cross from Steven Gerrard and rifles a shot narrowly wide of the right upright. Sunderland are getting eviscerated here. Liverpool have had 60% of the possession and six shots on goal in the opening 15 minutes. 17 min: Make that seven: Steven Gerrard bursts forward from midfield, picks up a pass from Maxi Rodriguez and shoots diagonally across the face of goal and narrowly wide. 19 min: Actually, that shot took a deflection off Turner and the referee awards a corner. It's only half-cleared to Daniel Agger, who shoots narrowly wide. With a bit more accuracy, Liverpool could be four or five up already. Sunderland are struggling to get out of their own half. 20 min: A free-kick for Sunderland about 45 yards from the Liverpool goal gives the Wearsiders some much-needed respite. Richardson sends the ball into the penalty area, where Liverpool clear. 25 min: Corner for Liverpool. Craig Gordon saves brilliantly from Maxi, who'd rushed to the near post and got a flick on Gerrard's inswinger. It was a reflex save, one-handed, but his strong wrist sent the ball over the bar for another corner. 27 min: Sunderland attack on the counter when the ball is lumped down the right channel for Darren Bent to chase. Reina dashes off his line, but Bent beats him to the ball. Support is in short supply, however and he's eventually crowded out of possession. 30 min: Sundelrand notch up their first attempt on goal, when Jordan Henderson sends a volley from distance well wide of the left upright. 31 min: Liverpool win a free-kick wide on the right, deep in Sunderland territory. Gerrard's delivery is perfect and Agger leaps highest to send a meaty header over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box. He should have scored. GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland (Johnson 32) That's been a long time coming. Liverpool won a corner, Gerrard sent it in and the ball was cleared as far as Glen Johnson, a few yards outside the penalty area. He shimmied this way and that before unleashing a drive that sailed past Michael Turner and then Craig Gordon. 34 min: Liverpool win another free-kick wide on the left. Once again, Steven Gerrard's delivery is sublime. He floats the ball diagonally across the penalty area, but four of his team-mates make their run to the near post, when the ball was begging to be headed home at the far one. That's another let-off for Sunderland, who are being torn apart here. This is as good as I've seen Liverpool play all season. 38 min: "Congrats to Jamie Carragher notching up the same appearances as Alan Hansen," writes Aidan Gibson. "Lets hope for Christ's sake that Carra doesn't become a pundit on Motd, with Hansen. The Gerrard love in meter might soar past 15." 39 min: Liverpool have gone almost five minutes without any of their players trying a shot on goal. They'll be disappointed with that. 40 min: The turkey shoot continues. Fernando Torres hits the foot of Gordon's right post from 10 yards out after being teed up by a Babel miscue following great work by Dirk Kuyt. The ball rebounds back to him and he fires another good chance wide. 41 min: Kuyt crosses from the right, prompting an agricultural clearance from Anton Ferdinand. Sunderland are being forced back deeper and deeper and are looking increasingly desperate. Considering how comprehensively they've been outplayed, it's astonishing they're only 2-0 down. 44 min: "Goal frame?" writes O2 Arena Event Ticketing Manager, Alison Jeeves, apropos my interesting pre-match stats. "Is that what the young people are calling the woodwork these days? Peter Gabriel is playing his new long player here at the O2 today, complete with full orchestra and everything." Event ticketing manager? Is that the young people are calling the turnstile operator these days? 44+1 min: The referee decides to take pity on Sunderland and decrees that there'll only be one minute of added time. Half-time Sunderland go in at the break fortunate to be only 2-0 down. They've been given a footballing lesson this afternoon. Torres opened the scoring with a late contender for Goal of the Month, before Glen Johnson doubled their lead. If I was Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, I'd use the break to usher my players on to the team bus and order the driver to hightail back to Wearside. Half-time analysis: "By my reckoning Agger has had more shots on goal this half than Voronin managed in his entire Liverpool career," writes Dave Evans. "By the way Barry, don't be so hard on yourself with regard to predictions: anyone who came out of this year's Cheltenham Festival less than £1 down can't be doing too badly." "As a Sunderland fan I agree with your comment about getting on the bus out of there ASAP," writes Tony Burn. "I can't see it ending up less than 4-0 , or 5-0? I'd take four as it stands." Agreed. There's no shame in running away when you're getting a pasting like Sunderland are this afternoon. Hanging around for another 45 minutes of this punishment is just foolhardy and masochistic. "Surely one of the safest bets one could ever make is that Carra will not be pursuing a career in punditry," writes Marie Meyer, all the way from Santa Fe in New Mexico. She's probably right. If Carra did take up punditry, only dogs would be able to hear him. Second-half: Liverpool have come out of the dressing room, but there's no sign of Sunderland's players yet. Perhaps Steve Bruce has taken my advice. 46 min: Sunderland get the second half underway, having eventually emerged from the dressing room in dribs and drabs; it's almost as if they don't want to play. Bruce has decided to try and hold what he has - a 2-0 defeat - and has brought on Paraguayan defender Paulo César da Silva Barrios for midfielder Lee Cattermole. 47 min: Ship-steadier Da Silva slots into the heart of Sunderland's defence alongside Turner and Ferdinand, while Fraizer Campbell moves back to midfield, leaving Bent alone up front. 49 min: Sunderland get out of their own half and string five - five! - passes together around the edges of the Liverpool penalty area before Jordan Henderson gives the ball away to Steven Gerrard. Sunderland's only attack of note in the game so far ends in another Liverpool attempt on goal, with Ryan Babel firing high and wide. CORNER! In a sensational turn of events, Sunderland win their first corner of the game ... from which nothing comes. 52 min: Sunderland substitution: a mightily relieved looking Steed Malbranque off, a scared looking Kenwyne Jones on. 53 min: Torres goes close again after great work from Glen Johnson down the right. Liverpool win a free-kick about 25 yards out, right of centre. Steven Gerrard drives the ball into the wall. 54 min: Jordan Henderson takes a shot from distance. Bah! 55 min: "Turnstiles?" writes Event Ticketing Manager Alison Jeeves from the O2 Arena in Greenwich. "This is the world's most popular music venue, we are too classy for turnstiles . Its all automatic doors and bar code scanners round here. You must be confusing us with Charlton Athletic's ground; they are just down the road after all." 56 min: Sunderland are showing faint signs of life in this half. They're actually enjoying a decent amount of possession, albeit without looking like doing anything so radical as using it to score a goal. Pepe Reina must be bored to tears. 59 min: In the centre-circle, Kenwyne Jones gives the ball away cheaply, allowing Gerrard and Torres to link up and embark on a counter-attack. GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland (Torres 60) In a crowded penalty area, Fernando Torres wrong-foots the entire Sunderland defence before calmly slotting the ball into an empty goal. Anton Ferdinand had failed to clear a high ball properly and it dropped for Johnson on the edge of the penalty area. He slpped a clever pass to Torres, whose finish from eight or nine yards was excellent. 62 min: On the left flank, Ryan Babel leaps in the air and chests down a long ball from Emiliano Insua, controlling it brilliantly. He cuts inside, takes the ball around Phil Bardsley and tries a shot from the edge of the penalty area. It's blocked. 64 min: The pessimist in me reckons that the jig might be up for Sunderland here. Still, three late goals would earn them a much-needed point. 64 min: Kuyt has to contort his body to try and get on the end of a low Babel cross that he'd have been better off leaving to Maxi Rodriguez. The Argentinian was running on to Babel's pass and perfectly placed to smash it beyond Gordon in the Sunderland goal. On the stretch, Kuyt succeeds only in skewing a shanked effort high over the bar. 66 min: Michael Turner wins a 50-50 ball in a tussle with Javier Mascherano. Small victories ... 68 min: Kieran Richardson prompts a chorus of wolf-whistles from the Kop when a shot from way out, that was as ambitious as it was optimistic, sails high over the bar. 69 min: Phil Bardsley concedes a corner, which Steven Gerrard asks Ryan Babel to take. Liverpool's skipper obviously fancies his chances of getting on the scoresheet. Babel sends in the ball from the right and Sunderland clear. 71 min: "World's most popular music venue, eh?" writes Dave Meehan. "I thought our own 02 in Dublin was more popular?" Liverpool substitution: Dirk Kuyt off, Alberto Aquilani on. 72 min: Alberto Aquilani jogs on and takes up position in behind the front two, forcing Steven Gerrard to move back a bit deeper than he's been playing so far. 74 min: Liverpool win a free-kick about four yards outside the Liverpool penalty area on the right flank. Darren Bent blazes the ball over the bar. I hope his aim is more accurate on Call Of Duty. 75 min: Another corner for Sunderland. Reina flaps the ensuing inswinger out for a throw-in, from which nothing comes. 77 min: "From what you have been describing I would suggest three late goals would earn Sunderland a visit from the Pope for a miracle similar to Jesus's Easter antics," writes Brendan Large. 78 min: Liverpool substitution: Fernando Torres off, David Ngog on. The Spaniard goes off to a rousing ovation from the home support. Sunderland substitution: Jordan Henderson off, Bolo Zenden on. 79 min: Javier Mascherano gets booked for tripping Darren Bent, conceding a free-kick on the sward between penalty area and touchline in the process. The free-kick is whipped into the gloved hands of Pepe Reina. 80 min: Liverpool substitution: Steven Gerrard off, Nabil El Zhar on. Kieran Richardson and Alberto Aquilani bring saves out of Pepe Reina and Craig Gordon respectively with long-range diasycutters. 83 min: It seems to be eerily quiet in Anfield, which is probably unsurprising seeing as this game ended as a contest in just under three minutes. Perhaps the fans are readying themselves for their post-match protest, when they'll show their dissatisfaction with their American owners by leaving their seats, marching to the exits, streaming out of the stadium and going to the pub for a few pints or home for their dinner. 85 min: Daniel Agger and referee Phil Dowd have a frank exchange of views when the official penalises the Liverpool defender for a foul on Zenden. Sunderland get a free-kick about 25 yards out, which Richardson blasts high and wide. In fairness to him, there wasn't anything like 10 yards between him and the Liverpool wall. 87 min: Liverpool are just running down the clock here and Sunderland seem fairly content to let them do so. They'll be delighted to get out of Anfield on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline. But for the profligacy of assorted Liverpool players, they could have shipped 10 or 11 this afternoon. 90 min: Babel, Ngog and Aquilani ping the ball around the edge of the Sunderland penalty area, searching for an opening. The Italian eventually curls a shot goalwards, which Gordon saves. 90+1 min: Bolo Zenden shoots from distance and his effort looks to be heading for the bottom left-hand corner until Reina intervenes with a fine save. 90+2 min: David Ngog misses a decent chance to volley Liverpool into a 4-0 lead, hitting fresh air from about six yards as a pass from Aquilani dropped over his right shoulder. That's good news for reader Dave Hancock, who claims to have bet on a 3-0 scoreline. "Starting to believe now," he says. "Hope only two minutes added time max." Dave Hancock can go and collect. It's all over - Liverpool have won comfortably. If anything, the scoreline flatters Sunderland, who were completely outplayed in every department. They rallied slightly in the second half, but were still very fortunate to only lose 3-0. Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City to go into fifth place, four points behind Tottenham Hotspur having played one game more . Sunderland remain mired in mid-table "meh!". Finally, I've decided to award Nick Smith's Jan Molby Award for the player (or manager) who most resembles a beach ball to Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, now that the crimson red of embarrassment has rendered his big head indistinguishable from the inflatable ball that fired Sunderland to victory in the corresponding fixture at the Stadium of Light.