Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Sunderland and Liverpool at the Stadium of Light! Both sides are in need of a victory for very different reasons this afternoon, with Sunderland looking to climb out of the bottom three and Liverpool aiming to close the gap on leaders Chelsea. It is a relegation-threatened side against a title-chasing team, but it may not be quite as clear-cut as that summary suggests. First, though, let's have a look at the team news...

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Mannone; Love, Djilobodji, O'Shea, Van Aanholt; Larsson, Ndong, Rodwell, Januzaj, Borini; Defoe

SUNDERLAND SUBS: Mika, Khazri, Manquillo, Honeyman, Maja, Embleton, Ledger

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Klavan, Milner; Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana; Mane, Firmino, Sturridge

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Moreno, Lucas, Origi, Stewart, Alexander-Arnold, Ejaria

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, Sunderland manager David Moyes has made three changes to his side for this contest, all of which have been enforced as his injury list continues to grow. Lamine Kone and Victor Anichebe both picked up injuries during the New Year's Eve defeat to Burnley and have not recovered in time, while Billy Jones is suspended having picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the last match in which he would have been banned for doing so.

Those changes have forced Moyes into a bit of a reshuffle, with John O'Shea dropping back into the heart of the defence alongside Djilobodji to replace Kone, while Donald Love comes in at right-back for Jones. Didier Ndong returns in the middle of the park to take O'Shea's place, while Jack Rodwell will make his latest attempt at getting an elusive Premier League victory under his belt as he also starts in midfield.

The main goalscoring threat for Sunderland today will, as ever, come from Jermain Defoe, who has been responsible for nine of their 17 Premier League goals this season - three times more than anyone else in the squad. Sunderland as a team may be struggling to find the back of the net, but that has never been a problem for Defoe, who has now scored in 130 different Premier League matches. Only four players in the division's history have managed more than that.

Sunderland have only had four different goalscorers in the league this season, and one of them - Anichebe - is unavailable today. Van Aanholt and Borini are the only other two besides Defoe to have found the back of the net, and the latter starts against his former club today. Borini scored just two goals in 25 Premier League appearances for Liverpool between 2012-15, and it is fair to say that he never really established himself at the club. Januzaj should also provide an attacking threat, and it was his cross that led to Sunderland's only goal against Burnley on Saturday.

The headlines news as far as Liverpool are concerned is the inclusion of Daniel Sturridge in the starting lineup for the first time since October and only the fifth time in the Premier League all season. The striker finally opened his league account in the recent victory over Stoke City and has a good record against Sunderland too, scoring in each of his last three league games against the Black Cats. However, the most recent of those came in March 2014.

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Sturridge's inclusion is the only change made by Jurgen Klopp despite the quick turnaround in matches, with captain Jordan Henderson the man to miss out having been forced off with a heel injury during the win over Manchester City on Saturday. Henderson will undoubtedly be a big miss against his former club having had a major influence in the Liverpool midfield all season, but it is a fairly easy change for Klopp to make as Adam Lallana drops back into the midfield trio having been pushed further forward against City.

Lallana has arguably been Liverpool's best performer so far this season, and the England international has now directly contributed to more goals than any other midfielder in Europe's top five leagues. He has seven goals and seven assists to his name in the Premier League, the latter tally being his best ever return in a single season already. He joins Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum, the latter of whom scored the only goal of the game against Man City, in that midfield three.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino joins Daniel Sturridge in the front three, but it remains to be seen whether that trio is quite as fluid as usual with Sturridge playing. The England man has a slightly different style to the other two, although having said that he has made a big impact off the bench on a few occasions already this season. Further back there are no changes as Klavan continues to deputise for the injured Matip and Mignolet keeps his place in goal against his former club. Clyne, Lovren and Milner make up the back four.

It is a Liverpool side full of in-form players, then, and Sunderland will be under no illusions as to the task that faces them this afternoon. The Black Cats are big underdogs for this game, and with good reason too having lost four of their last five outings. That represents a major dip in form from a run of three wins in four before that, but crucially they are still within touching distance of safety heading into the New Year.

That didn't necessarily look like being the case at one point this season, with Sunderland beginning the campaign by going 10 matches without a victory. Even with their recent dip in form, their record over the last nine games is a vast improvement on that start, with Sunderland winning four and losing five in that time. Another victory today, as unlikely as it may seem, would see them climb out of the relegation zone - at least until Crystal Palace play Swansea City on Tuesday.

In truth, matches like this one today are not going to be what determines whether Sunderland stay in the division or not. Any point would be a bonus, of course, and a victory would be a huge boost to both their survival hopes and their confidence, but it is the matches against the teams around them in the table which will hold most importance. Moyes may not be losing too much sleep over the fact that his side have not picked up a single point from their games against teams currently in the top seven of the table this season, then, conceding 16 goals and scoring just three en route to seven defeats.

The Black Cats cannot afford to let such a record drip too far down the table, though, and they are without a win against a team currently in the top nine this term too, picking up just two points from a possible 27 in that time. Their recent record against teams in the bottom half has not been great either, with Swansea and Burnley both running out three-goal winners in the space of their last fixtures, and a 1-0 win over Watford providing their only points in that time.

The big hope for Sunderland heading into today's match is that it is at home, where they have vastly improved in recent weeks. The Black Cats have won three of their last four matches at the Stadium of Light, with the seemingly unstoppable Chelsea the only visiting side to avoid defeat here in that time. It took them 14 matches to register three home wins prior to this current run, while they have picked up nine points from the last 12 available in front of their own fans having only managed one point from the first 15 on offer here this season.

Sunderland's most recent home game saw them beat Watford 1-0, and should they manage to keep the free-scoring Liverpool at bay today then it would be back-to-back Premier League clean sheets at home for the first time since May 2014. Only Hull and Swansea have conceded more in the league this season, but Sunderland's only two clean sheets have come here at the Stadium of Light, and in their last four home games too.

Despite that notable improvement, though, Sunderland still have one of the worst home records in the Premier League this season. Only Hull, Swansea and Crystal Palace have amassed fewer points in front of their own fans, despite the vast majority of Sunderland's points coming here. Only three teams have scored fewer home goals too, and putting the ball in the back of the net has been another big problem for the Black Cats. They have scored just 17 times in their 19 games this season, the second-lowest tally in the division.

Liverpool have no such problems when it comes to scoring, and they head into this match having scored more league goals in 2016 than in any year since 1985. Jurgen Klopp's side are the leading scorers in the Premier League with 46 - four more goals than Chelsea have managed. The major problem for the Reds over the first half of the season was keeping them out at the other end, and still no team has conceded more than them in the top six of the table.

However, there has been a notable improvement at the back in recent weeks, which has gone some way to answering the biggest question mark that hung over Liverpool's title credentials. The Reds have not kept six clean sheets in their last nine outings in all competitions, as many as they had managed in their previous 30 games before that. In the even more recent past they have conceded just one goal in their last four games, including a clean sheet against Manchester City - the highest-scoring away team in the league - at Anfield on Saturday.

That victory over Man City was by no means the spectacle many expected between two usually free-scoring teams, but it may well be the best indication yet that Liverpool are in this title race for the long haul. In a battle between second and third it certainly seemed to confirm Liverpool as Chelsea's most serious challengers, and the defensive performance to grind out a 1-0 win when the team was not at their best was the type that is usually described as the sign of champions.

Of course, there is not too much Liverpool or anyone can do right now with Chelsea racking up win after win, but the Reds are at least keeping within sight of Antonio Conte's side, and victory today would see them close the gap to three points - at least until Chelsea travel to White Hart Lane on Wednesday. The Reds come into this match off the back of four straight victories, and another win would make it five Premier League triumphs in a row for the first time since March 2015, and therefore the first time under Jurgen Klopp too.

Liverpool's topsy-turvy 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth in December is their only loss in their last 21 matches in all competitions, during which time they have won a hugely impressive 16 games and drawn four. Just how costly that loss to Bournemouth and the subsequent draw with West Ham will prove to be, only time will tell, but even with those results Liverpool have never been in a better position to win the Premier League at this stage of a season. Their 43-point tally is a club-record for the Premier League era after 19 games, eclipsing the 42 points they managed in 2008-09.

Liverpool have been particularly impressive at Anfield this season, but their away form has been good too. They have only lost one of their last 10 outings on the road, winning seven and drawing two in that time. They come into this match with back-to-back wins and clean sheets away from home, and another today would see them record three away league victories without conceding in a row for the first time since January 2015 - a run which included a win at the Stadium of Light.

Both of Liverpool's league defeats this season have come on the road, but they still boast one of the best records in the division. Only Chelsea and Manchester City have amassed more points on their travels, with Liverpool averaging two points per game from their 10 outings. They are also averaging two goals a game, and only Man City have scored more away from home. However, Liverpool's defensive record on their travels is comfortably the worst in the top six.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Stadium of Light, which means that it is time for a prediction! David Moyes will be demanding a reaction from his side following their shambolic 4-1 defeat to Burnley, and you can expect the hosts to play rather defensively. However, being at home they still should be a little more adventurous than they were an Anfield, when Klopp described them as the most defensive team he has ever seen, so Liverpool should get space. With the form of both sides I can't see anything other than an away win, so I'm going for 2-0 to the Reds.

Unsurprisingly, Liverpool have dominated this fixture down the years, with Sunderland winning just three of their 31 Premier League meetings with the Reds, drawing 10 and losing 18. All of those wins have come at home, though, the most recent of which came in March 2012, when Nicklas Bendtner scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory for the Black Cats.

Since then Liverpool are unbeaten in nine meetings with Sunderland, winning six and drawing three - including four unbeaten and three straight wins at the Stadium of Light. These most recently played each other in November, with Origi and Milner scored in the final 15 minutes to hand Liverpool a 2-0 win at Anfield. Their last clash here, meanwhile, saw Christian Benteke score the only goal of the game just over a year ago.

David Moyes hasn't exactly endeared himself to Liverpool fans down the years due to stints at Everton and Manchester United, but his record against the Reds is not a good one by any means. He has won just one of his last 16 Premier League meetings with Liverpool as a manager, drawing five and losing 10 in that time. The solitary victory came during his time in charge of Everton, running out 2-0 winners in October 2010.

Right, we're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now for what promises to be a huge match at both ends of the table. Can Liverpool march on with a fifth straight win or will Sunderland pick up a surprise result?

KICKOFF: Here we go! Liverpool get us underway at the Stadium of Light!

This has been a good, positive start from Liverpool here. They have dominated the ball early on and are looking to get at this Sunderland defence from the outset.

The Reds have made two early breaks into the box down the right channel, first through Clyne and then through Mane, but neither of them can pick out a teammate with their subsequent crosses.

SAVE! Sunderland have their first real attack of the match, and it results with a decent effort from Defoe. Van Aanholt comes forward and plays the ball inside for the striker, who finds himself in a bit of space. He immediately looks to shoot, but Mignolet gets down well to make a good save - crucially holding on to the ball too.

Sunderland think they have a great chance as Larsson swings a free kick into the area that finds Rodwell completely unmarked. However, the midfielder doesn't get enough on his header to steer it on target and the linesman's flag was raised anyway.

CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool at the other end! Sturridge picks up the ball in space on the right side of the area following a pass from Mane and drills a low strike towards the bottom corner, but Mannone reacts brilliantly to make a really smart save down to his right.

SAVE! Mannone is called into action again as Liverpool play the resulting corner short and work it to Wijnaldum. The midfielder goes from goal from the edge of the box, but Mannone tips it over the top.

Firmino does really well to block an attempted clearance from Love and keep the ball in play before dribbling inside. He makes it past a couple of red and white shirts, but Love tracks him and is able to hack the ball away.

Poor from Clyne as he slices his attempted clearance high into the air, forcing him to put the next one out for a throw-in in a good position for the hosts.

SAVE! From that throw Sunderland come close as Van Aanholt knocks the ball back to Rodwell, who hits a low first-time effort towards goal. Defoe is following in, but Mignolet gets down to push it away.

YELLOW CARD! Rodwell is the first player in the book this afternoon for a heavy late challenge on Can. No complaints there.

Firmino ducks inside to work a yard for a shot from the edge of the box, but his blazes his effort high and wide of the target.

Almost a chance for Liverpool to get into the box as Wijnaldum picks up a loose ball and tries to find the run of Sturridge, but he puts the ball behind the striker.

It is all very frantic at the moment. Both teams are closing down quickly off the ball, and as a result it is tough for either side to keep possession for any length of time.

SAVE! Mannone is called into action again here as Firmino lays the ball into the path of Sturridge, who hits a curling first-time effort towards the corner. The Sunderland keeper is across well to push it away with a big, strong hand.

CLOSE! Liverpool are upping the pressure here! Firmino sneaks a reverse pass to the overlapping Lallana down the left channel, and his low cross goes right across the face of the box before Larsson puts it just past his own post.

Liverpool have the breakthrough, and it is Daniel Sturridge who gets it! A corner is met by a volley from Lovren, but he doesn't connect properly and the ball bounces into the ground and back up into a dangerous area. The Sunderland defence is static, but Sturridge isn't and he reacts to lift a header over Mannone for the opening goal.

It took Liverpool 75 minutes to find the breakthrough in this fixture at Anfield, so they will be delighted to have opened the scoring after only 20 minutes here. They can now play the game at their own pace with no real pressure on them to force the situation.

Sunderland level things up just five minutes after going behind, and it is a 10th of the season for Defoe. Ndong sneaks in front of Wijnaldum to break into the box before taking the ball past Klavan, who leaves a careless leg hanging out. Liverpool can have no complaints at Anthony Taylor pointing to the spot, and Defoe tucks it right into the bottom corner despite Mignolet guessing the right way.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Sunderland to grab a second! A through-ball is played between the two Liverpool centre-backs by Januzaj which the offside Ndong leaves. Defoe races onto it from a deeper position, though, and suddenly finds himself clean through on goal. He tries to take the ball past Mignolet, but the Liverpool keeper gets a crucial hand to the ball and Borini can't tuck home the rebound. Both Defoe and Borini should have done better there!

This has been a really good response from the Black Cats. The crowd are in full voice and seem full of belief too after that chance. Liverpool are in for a real test here.

YELLOW CARD! Milner is the first Liverpool player to see yellow today for a trip on Borini after the Sunderland man had got the better of him and Wijnaldum.

Another Sunderland free kick threatens to find a player unmarked inside the box, but once again the offside flag is raised. Sunderland need to watch those runs.

SAVE! Sunderland are swarming all over Liverpool here! They prevent the visitors from clearing the danger and in the end the ball falls to Rodwell who tries a speculative volley from range that loops into the arms of Mignolet.

This really has been a frantic opening 34 minutes which has flown by. Sunderland are well up for this one and the players are showing plenty of fight and desire, which in turn is encouraging the crowd.

Almost a chance for Sunderland as Januzaj fizzes a ball into the box that Defoe just can't control when a better touch would have left him with a very good chance.

SAVE! Sturridge picks up possession just outside the area and takes his time before cutting inside and trying to curl one into the bottom corner which Mannone pushes away. The ball comes back into the box and Wijnaldum almost has a chance, but Rodwell gets back just in time to make an important block.

Sunderland are looking to make a lot of early long passes forward for the likes of Defoe and Borini, trying to catch Lovren and Klavan off guard and perhaps expose their lack of pace.

Things have just calmed down a little after such a quick half for the most part. How long will the teams be able to keep that pace up for considering they will in action as recently as Saturday?

SAVE! Sturridge again picks the ball up just outside the box and once more jinks onto his left before looking for the curling effort into the far corner. Once again, though, Mannone is across to make the save, although this time he needs two attempts to hold it.

Sunderland manager David Moyes will be very happy with what he has seen from his side in this match so far. They have matched Liverpool for the most part and are very much in this game as we approach half time.

There will be two minutes of stoppage time at the end of this first half.

The first half comes to an end at the Stadium of Light, then, and it was a very entertaining opening 45 minutes. Both sides were full of attacking ambition when they had the ball and both pressed very well when they weren't in possession too. It was frantic stuff for the most part, with plenty of chances and a goal apiece. Sunderland are very much in this one and Moyes will want more of the same from his side in the coming 45 minutes.

It was Liverpool who took the lead in the 20th minute when Sturridge marked his first league start since October with the opening goal. Sunderland's defence left a lot to be desired as Lovren's mis-hit effort bounced into the ground and into the six-yard box. The defenders were static, but Sturridge was on the move and lifted his header over Mannone.

Liverpool were ahead for just five minutes, though, as Sunderland responded brilliantly to going behind and quickly restored parity. The equaliser came from the penalty spot as Ndong snuck in ahead of Wijnaldum before breaking into the box and being felled by a lazy outstretched leg from Klavan. Defoe stepped up to the take the resulting penalty, and it was no surprise to see the net bulge as the striker registered his 10th goal of the season.

Both goalkeepers have been kept busy aside from picking the ball out of their own nets, with Mannone thwarting Sturridge in particular on a number of occasions. The striker has cut inside onto his left foot time and time again before looking for that bottom corner, but Mannone has kept him out each time that has happened. Defoe squandered a glorious chance for Sunderland too when he was played clean through on goal, only for Mignolet to deny him and Borini to fire the rebound wide.

KICKOFF: Sunderland get us back underway for the second half here, and the first thing to tell you is that Alberto Moreno has come on in place of Milner.

Liverpool have seen most of the ball again in the opening stages of this second half, but it is not quite as frantic as it was in the first half just yet.

It will be interesting to see how Sunderland approach this half. A draw at home to Liverpool would be a superb result for them, but there was enough in the first half to suggest that they could get even more from this game.

YELLOW CARD! Larsson picks up a yellow card early in the second half for a tug on Clyne. Anthony Taylor allowed play to continue, but then came back to book Larsson later. Good refereeing.

Sunderland certainly seem to have dropped a little deeper in this second half so far. Liverpool are dominating possession but haven't been able to find a way through since the interval.

Sunderland have done a good job of keeping the likes of Firmino and Lallana quiet so far today. They have arguably been Liverpool's two most dangerous players this season, but they haven't been able to make much of an impact yet.

CHANCE! Almost a second for Liverpool as Clyne hangs a fine cross into the box that eludes the keeper. It is just too high for Sturridge too, and Mane just can't get enough on the ball as it glances off his forehead with the goal gaping.

CHANCE! Chance for Sunderland at the other end as a touch suddenly sends Borini into the box. He delays his shot as he looks for space to have a go, but Klavan blocks the eventual effort while Defoe is denied by the defence moments later. The danger is not over yet and Sunderland are calling for a penalty against Can, but Anthony Taylor says no.

Sunderland will feel aggrieved looking back at that handball claim. It definitely struck the arm of Can, but there wasn't much distance between the players and it deflected off Can's leg and onto his arm. It could have gone either way.

Just under half an hour remaining in this one, and still it really could go either way. Liverpool are looking the most likely to get the game's third goal right now, but Sunderland are still carrying a threat.

SAVE! Firmino looks to come up with something special from range here, drilling a 25-yard effort towards the bottom corner, but Mannone is across to make the save again.

SAVE! Another save for Mannone to make, but again it is fairly straightforward. Liverpool break forward as Sturridge plays it to Mane, who waits for support before sliding a short pass to Can. The midfielder tries a first-time effort from just outside the area, but it is straight at the keeper.

SUNDERLAND SUB: Change for the hosts here as Javier Manquillo comes on against his former club, replacing Rodwell.

Sunderland have looked very solid in this second half so far - a long way from what they were during the defeat to Burnley just a couple of days ago. Moyes would have demanded a response, and his players have answered.

Just 20 minutes remaining in this match now, and Liverpool need to start pushing for that winner. This would be a big missed opportunity if they fail to pick up all three points.

CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool to regain the lead! Sturridge plays a pass inside for Lallana before racing into the box for a return pass. Lallana finds him with a backheel, but Mannone makes a huge save with his feet.

From the resulting corner, Liverpool do regain their lead! A corner is flicked on at the near post, and Mane is there to just tap it in from close range. The Sunderland players are screaming for an offside flag, but the ball came off the head of Djilobodji on its way through so Mane was onside.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Klopp makes a change in the wake of that goal, with Divock Origi replacing Wijnaldum.

Is there any way back for Sunderland now? They don't have many options off the bench, and the current 11 on the field are beginning to look tired.

Sturridge goes down inside the penalty area following a challenge from Djilobodji, and the Liverpool striker stays down. Sunderland refuse to kick it out, though, until they finally win a free kick.

SUNDERLAND SUB: A change for the home side here as Wahbi Khazri replaces Januzaj.

LIVERPOOL SUB: I think Sturridge was about to be subbed anyway, but he limps off the field here to be replaced by Lucas Leiva.

Chance for Sunderland here as Defoe turns his man just outside the area before going down. The hosts have a free kick in a very good position here...

Two penalties, two goals for Sunderland! They level things up from the spot as Defoe this time sends Mignolet the wrong way. Larsson took the free kick, and his whipped effort struck the outstretched arm of Mane, who receives a yellow for his troubles. It is a definite penalty once again, and Defoe makes no mistake from the spot.

This will be a huge point for Sunderland if they can keep hold of it. It won't be enough to take them out of the relegation zone, but a point against this Liverpool side having trailed twice has to be regarded as a very good result.

SAVE! Another save from Mannone, but again it is quite an easy one. Klavan gets his head to a free kick, but it is too far out to really trouble the Sunderland keeper.

There will be five minutes of stoppage time at the end of this match.

We may have more than that five minutes as Djilobodji has just been receiving treatment following a clash of heads. He doesn't seem to be steady on his feet at all, but he is allowed to continue.

SAVE! Mannone is having a brilliant game here. Lallana is the latest to be thwarted by the keeper, driving a shot towards goal that is pushed away.

SAVE! One more Mannone save to add to the collection as he gathers Firmino's effort from the resulting corner.

The referee brings an end to proceedings at the Stadium of Light, then, and it is a huge point for Sunderland as they move to within one point of survival. Liverpool led twice through goals from Daniel Sturridge and Sadio Mane, but two penalties from Jermain Defoe ensured that the Reds missed the chance to close the gap on leaders Chelsea to three points.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as Sunderland peg Liverpool back twice for a 2-2 draw that has major implications as both ends of the table. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction from both camps too. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!