LIVERPOOL striker Christian Benteke simply loves playing against Sunderland.
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| Christian Benteke celebrates |
The Belgian condemned Sam Allardyce’s team to their fifth successive defeat last night.
And nobody should be surprised that Benteke was the man responsible for the Liverpool victory.
He has now scored six times against Sunderland - more than he has managed against any other Premier League team.
The striker also scored against Leicester on Boxing Day to earn three points, and it’s a timely return to form for a player who had managed only two goals in eight games before he sealed these timely back-to-back successes.
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| Benteke tucked away his chance with aplomb |
At least Sunderland tried to obey one of the pre-match instructions from manager Sam Allardyce, who told them: “Get into people’s faces”.
With the abrasive qualities of Lee Cattermole back as he started a game for the first time in a month following an injury, they were always certain to be more aggressive than in recent games.
But the extra determination displayed was never likely to compensate for the class gap between the two sides and Sunderland soon found themselves under familiar pressure.
Full-back Nathaniel Clyne provided the first threat with an ambitious effort from more than 30 yards that swerved enough to cause some discomfort for keeper Vito Mannone in the fifth minute.
There were also early signs that Philippe Coutinho would relish the freedom he was being given down Sunderland’s right flank.
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| Roberto Firmino tested Vito Mannone a number of times, but the Italian was in fine form |
The Brazilian seized on a misjudged pass by former Liverpool defender Seb Coates to set up Roberto Firmino, whose heavy touch wasted the opportunity and gave no hint of the way he was to dominate the half.
Coutinho also shot wide before the first glimpse of the Sunderland attack and, unsurprisingly, Jermain Defoe was the player responsible for a 15th-minute shot that brought a smart save from Simon Mignolet.
At least it was evidence that Sunderland had a foothold in this encounter after a succession of games when they had soon lost hope after leaking early goals.
They still lived dangerously, though, and were indebted to Mannone for two saves that denied Firmino a goal.
Mannone’s first effort was sensational as he flew to his right to get the faintest of touches to a fierce 30-yard shot in the 25th minute.
The second save came in the 11th minutes when Mannone reacted well to a header from Firmino, preventing controversy since Sunderland were adamant that Clyne had handled before he crossed from the right touchline.
It had developed into Sunderland v Firmino by this stage and the South American was frustrated again three minutes before the interval when a well-engineered corner left him with space for a shot that failed to find its way through a crowded goalmouth.
Allardyce would have been a worried manager at half-time. Experience would tell tell him that this Sunderland defence - a fragile unit throughout the season and now deprived of Younes Kaboul through injury - was unlikely to survive another 45 minutes of pressure.
But even Allardyce could not have expected them to crack within 22 seconds of the restart. Clyne’s diagonal ball created danger, but a touch from Adam Lallana was crucial as it wrongfooted two defenders and gave Benteke space to steer in his seventh goal of the season.
It was the 38th league goal they have conceded this season and Liverpool must have sensed they could add to that miserable record, particularly when Sunderland lost another central defender as Coates limped off in the 72nd minute.
Allardyce’s decision to sign the Lorient centre-back Lamine Kone during the transfer window already looked like a timely move, but the loss of another defender means Kone is likely to go straight into the side when he arrives.
Kone was watching last night and will not have been impressed by what he witnessed, particularly from a Sunderland attack that continued to struggle to make an impact.
Even when substitute Duncan Watmore did produce a 78th minute volley that was blocked, he was fortunate that referee Kevin Friend had not spotted a push on Mignolet.
Benteke should have added another goal in the closing stages, but failed to beat Mannone after going clear.
Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mannone; Jones, Coates (Yedlin 62), Brown, Van Aanholt; Cattermole, M’Vila; Johnson (Lens 63), Rodwell (Watmore 30) Borini; Defoe. NEXT UP: Aston Villa (h), Sat, PL.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Can, Henderson (Lucas 61); Lallana, Firmino (Toure 93); Coutinho (Ibe 83); Benteke. Goal: Benteke 46. NEXT UP: West Ham (a), Sat, PL.
Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire).
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