Having beaten league leaders Leicester City 1-0 on Boxing Day, Liverpool now face a challenge of an entirely different kind as they travel to the North East to take on struggling Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday.
Sam Allardyce's side currently lie second from bottom in the Premier League yet for Liverpool this is arguably a more difficult test than Leicester, as this is the type of fixture and style of opponent that they often have the most trouble with. This season the Merseysiders have won at Chelsea and Manchester City, drawn at Arsenal, Spurs and Everton, yet meekly surrendered at Newcastle before being humiliated at Watford.