We look at three memorable moments between Liverpool and Sunderland: Fan protests at Anfield, the infamous beachball goal and the FA Cup Final when the losers had winners medals.
Liverpool host Sunderland at Anfield this weekend, hoping to get back to winning ways after a tepid goal-less draw against Southampton in their previous Premier League fixture.
There have certainly been some memorable match ups between the two sides in recent times – we look back at three of the best.
1991/92 FA Cup Final: Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland
Liverpool: Grobbelaar, Jones, Wright, Nicol, Burrows, McManaman, Thomas, Molby, Houghton, Saunders, Rush.
Sunderland: Norman, Owers, Ball, Bennett, Rogan, Rush, Bracewell, Davenport, Armstrong, Byrne, Atkinson.
Michael Thomas scoring his classic FA Cup Final goal
Despite a strong first half performance from then Second Division side Sunderland, goals from Michael Thomas and Ian Rush helped Liverpool to the 1992 FA Cup triumph.
Liverpool were without two of their key midfield players, John Barnes and Ronnie Whelan, through injury – but did have manager Graeme Souness on the bench after defying doctors orders to rest following triple heart bypass surgery.
The deadlock was broken shortly after the teams emerged from the Wembley tunnel for the second half. On 47 minutes, a typical Steve McManaman dribble and threaded ball bounced in front of Michael Thomas, around waist height. Thomas then dispatched one of the great Wembley FA Cup goals with a full volley from just inside Sunderland’s penalty box.
The second Liverpool goal was scored twenty minutes later, by the talismanic Ian Rush. After build up play from Dean Saunders and Thomas, the ball fell to Rush who calmly converted a side footed finish past Sunderland goalkeeper Tony Norman – scoring a record 5th FA Cup Final goal at Wembley in the process.
To add to the memorable occasion, the Sunderland players were accidentally presented with the set of winners medals when climbing the famed Wembley steps – an error that was corrected by the players soon after!
Liverpool 2-2 Sunderland, 6th February 2016: Liverpool’s fans protest
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Milner, Allen, Lallana, Firmino
Sunderland: Mannone, Jones, Kone, O’Shea, van Aanholt, Kirchoff, Cattermole, M’Vila, Watmore, Khazri, Defoe
The last meeting between these two sides came in a Premier League match in February 2016 and will be largely remembered for thousands of Liverpool supporters vacating Anfield in protest.
On the 77th minute the Anfield faithful let their feelings be known regarding ticket pricing, as they left the stadium in droves, with chants directed at the board.
The game itself was an entertaining affair – with a late comeback in front of the diminishing audience by Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland side enough to grab a 2-2 draw.
Liverpool had taken a two goal lead thanks to Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino strikes, but two goals in the last seven minutes meant that the points where shared.
And Sunderland’s goal scorer is… A beachball.
No Sunderland and Liverpool encounter can be discussed without mention of the now infamous beachball goal, ‘scored’ by the Black Cats’ Darren Bent on 17th October 2009.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Aurelio, Spearing, Lucas, Benayoun, Kuyt, Babel
Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Turner, Ferdinand, McCartney, Cana, Cattermole, Malbranque, Reid, Bent, Jones
Darren Bent scores the infamous beach ball goal for Sunderland against Liverpool
Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light added to their poor start to the 2009-10 Premier League campaign.
The circumstances of the deciding goal made the defeat all the more bitter for Rafael Benitez’s side.
Sunderland striker Bent’s attempt at goal looked to be heading straight into goalkeeper Pepe Reina’s grasp, until the freakishly anomalous deflection off a beachball – thrown to the field of play by a Liverpool fan.
The goal has gone down in Premier League history and is certainly a memorable moment from any Liverpool and Sunderland clash.
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