Sunderland are looking like a team that could be destined to finish in the upper half of the table this year, with a string of high quality signings over the summer.  Roy Keane seems determined to make Sunderland a permanent member of the Premier League.   Whereas Rafael Benitez had not made many big name transfers this year, other than Robbie Keane for £19million from Tottenham.

Sunderland proved the new players were worth it, controlling a good share of the possession, and no longer looking like a team just barely hanging on.  Both team pretty much canceled each other out, and there was little in the form of goal scoring changes, except of the header which fell to Sunderland's Daryl Murphy, only for him to direct it straight to Reina.

The second half continued as a stalemate, with neither side able to create any chances, let alone take them.  The match looked like it would surely end as a goalless bore draw and both team would be happy with a point.

With strikers of Fernando Torres' quality the game can be changed in an instant, and on this occasion it was, when Torres snatched a late winner to give Liverpool the 3 points.  Sunderland will not be happy with the result, but they will take some consolation in the fact that they put in a sturdy performance.

Overall match rating: 2 out of 5