Liverpool must validate West Ham win against high-flying Sunderland | OneFootball

Liverpool’s meeting with Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday night arrives with a sense of uncertainty around whether their narrow win at West Ham represented genuine recovery or temporary relief.

The champions laboured through long spells at the London Stadium before Alexander Isak’s first league goal for the club and Cody Gakpo’s late finish halted a three-match losing run, offering a much-needed reset after a bleak stretch of form.

That result did not entirely settle concerns about Liverpool’s attacking fluency or defensive fragility, but it lifted the mood ahead of a fixture that now carries considerably more jeopardy than anticipated when the fixture list was released.

Sunderland travel in the unusual position of being one of the least desirable opponents in the division, an accolade not typically afforded to newly promoted sides.

They have collected eight wins from their opening 13 matches and currently sit above Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the table, a record built on organisation, intensity and a refusal to concede momentum in difficult situations.

Their 3-2 victory over Bournemouth at the weekend encapsulated that approach, with Regis Le Bris’s side recovering from a two-goal deficit to record the club’s first-ever Premier League win from such a position.

There is, however, a clear distinction between Sunderland at home and Sunderland on their travels.

They have scored only three away goals in the league this season, a total which reflects a more conservative approach, although they remain defensively competitive with only six goals conceded on the road.

Anfield has not been a welcoming venue either, with Sunderland failing to win there in the Premier League era and last enjoying victory on Merseyside in 1983, figures that highlight the significance of the task even against a Liverpool side still searching for rhythm.

For Liverpool, this fixture tests not only form but conviction. Arne Slot’s side needed a red card to help turn momentum against West Ham, and their capacity to control matches over longer periods remains unproven.

The manager’s selection choices will again draw attention, particularly regarding Mohamed Salah, whose benching last weekend fuelled debate over his role in a system seeking greater balance.

Whatever the line-up, Liverpool require a more coherent performance if they intend to build momentum rather than rely on isolated moments.

Liverpool’s record against newly promoted teams remains flawless across their last 12 league meetings, but few of those opponents arrived with Sunderland’s momentum.

Tomorrow night now offers both sides an opportunity to validate their trajectory, with Liverpool needing to show that their escape in London was the start of something more substantial.