Evening all! Sunderland have the pleasure of hosting the final Premier League game of 2015 as they welcome Liverpool to the Stadium of Light. Targets for the season may be different for each team, but the importance of this match is the same for both outfits. Sunderland need to get points on the board as they scrap for survival, while Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side can stay in contention for a Champions League spot with a win tonight.

Unfortunately for Sunderland fans, trying to keep a place in the Premier League seems to be the main objective season after season. Sam Allardyce took over in October, replacing Dick Advocaat, and things started to look up following back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Stoke City in November, but since then the team have been on the losing side in their last four top-flight games.

Points are vital for Sunderland at this stage, while Liverpool are searching for some consistency. In their last four games in the league, the Reds have recorded two defeats, one draw and a victory, which came about on Boxing Day when Christian Benteke scored to give his side a 1-0 win over second-placed Leicester City. The timing of that triumph could be crucial for Liverpool as Klopp tries to get a grasp of the hectic festive schedule in England.

Right, let's put the rambling on hold for a minute to bring you the starting lineups for each side. Beginning with the hosts...

SUNDERLAND XI: Mannone; Jones, Coates, Brown, Van Aaonholt; Cattermole, M'Vila, Rodwell, Johnson, Borini; Defoe
Subs: Pantilimon, Yedlin, Beadling, Watmore, Lens, Toivonen, Graham

LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Can, Henderson; Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho; Benteke
Subs: Bogdan, Toure, Lucas, Ibe, Randall, Smith, Teixeira

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has gone for some personnel changes. Four alterations have been made to the side that were hammered 4-1 by Manchester City on Boxing Day - Wes Brown, Lee Cattermole, Jack Rodwell and Jermain Defoe start, replacing John O'Shea, Danny Graham, Jordi Gomez and Steven Fletcher, who is out of the squad altogether.

Vito Mannone keeps his place in goal, while Billy Jones, Sebastian Coates, Patrick van Aanholt and Brown line the back four. The Black Cats are expected to set up with five across the midfield as Lee Cattermole, Yann M'Vila, Jack Rodwell, Adam Johnson and Fabio Borini have been given the nod to start. Defoe will lead the line up front.

TRANSFER NEWS! While we're on the subject of Sunderland players, a fresh face seems to be close to joining them. Ligue 1 club Lorient have confirmed that a bid has been accepted for defender Lamine Kone. Vice-present Alex Hayes told guest-france.fr: "We have received an offer that we have accepted. It is now up to Lamine to find an agreement with Sunderland and to pass the medical before the transfer can be made official."

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Right, let's take a look at the Liverpool lineup. As expected, there is no place for Divock Origi after he suffered an injury against Leicester at the weekend. Christian Benteke, who scored the only goal at Anfield on Saturday, takes his place up front and that's the only change that Jurgen Klopp has made. Despite Daniel Sturridge recently claiming that he is fit after spending a spell out with a hamstring injury, there is no place for the striker in the squad. However, Jordon Ibe has been declared fit as he has been handed a spot on the bench.

Benteke will have attacking support from Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, while Emre Can will line the midfield alongside captain Jordan Henderson, who began his career at Sunderland. Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno take the full-back positions, with Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho forming a central defensive partnership.

.@OfficialBigSam leads the way as the Lads arrive @StadiumOfLight #SUNLIV pic.twitter.com/09xByFDyMr — Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 30, 2015

The #LFC squad arrive at the Stadium of Light pic.twitter.com/s0q9s3yPGg — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 30, 2015

Now, let's delve deeper into Sunderland's current predicament. The North-East outfit are seven points from safety at the midway stage of the campaign, which more often than not spells danger. Goals have been very hard to come by for the Black Cats as they have only managed to find the back of the net 19 times in the top flight so far this season. In addition to that, they have conceded 37 goals - the most of any Premier League club in the 2015-16 campaign.

It does not seem to be clicking for Sunderland at the moment and in their last four league games they have had 11 goals shipped past them, only scoring three in the other direction. In fairness to Allardyce and his men, they have been up against tough opposition in December. They had to face title contenders Arsenal at the Emirates before welcoming in-form Watford to the Stadium of Light. They then took on current champions Chelsea shortly after Guus Hiddink was appointed as Jose Mourinho's successor and faced Manchester City, who sealed a comprehensive 4-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

This week, Allardyce gave his opinion on the team's struggles. He told reporters: "We are struggling in defending terms - we aren't getting in people's faces and aren't closing the opposition down enough.

"That's definitely a factor that's been brought to light, particularly in the last two games. We must get better at it if we are to put points on the board. Our play out of possession is equally as important as when we have the ball."

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Confidence plays a huge part in winning football matches and teams in Sunderland's position tend to be lacking in that area. The Black Cats were dealt an unfortunate schedule, having to play Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in December, but after tonight, they have a somewhat kinder couple of weeks as they face Aston Villa, who are rooted to the bottom of the table, and Swansea City, who are also in a precarious position near the relegation zone.

Should Sunderland fail to get anything from those two games, then it is fair to say that it will be a huge ask for them to retain their Premier League status. However, if they can get a point off Liverpool or maximum points, then it could be a turning point for the North-East club. They have a chance of upsetting Klopp's side as they have home advantage and the Reds have lacked consistency in the last few weeks - they have been undone by Watford and Newcastle United in December.

One player who will certainly want to score this evening is Fabio Borini, who joined Sunderland on a permanent deal in the summer after spending three failed years at Liverpool. The Italian has been in good form of late having scored twice in the Black Cats' last two league games.

This week, Borini told the Sunderland Echo: "I'd like to score against Liverpool. More than anyone else. I've said everything I want to already about my time there, but these games are both huge for us."

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Right, let's switch our attention to tonight's away side. As mentioned, Liverpool have been inconsistent of late, and at the moment, it's difficult to predict what Liverpool side will turn up! Klopp's side looked unstoppable when they dismantled Southampton with a 6-1 triumph in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup. However, since then, the team have only managed to earn one win in their last five matches in all competitions.

The Reds were particularly poor against Watford at Vicarage Road on December 20 when they suffered a 3-0 defeat. Generally, Liverpool have set up well away from home - pressing high and closing down their opponents off the ball. They snatched well-deserved away wins over Chelsea and Manchester City using that approach, but recently they have been lacking in dominance on the pitch.

On Boxing Day, the Merseyside outfit showed glimpses of the quality that they had in October and November by earning a 1-0 win over Leicester at Anfield. Klopp's men were impressive on the attack and a goal from Benteke was all that they needed to gain all three points, but there was a nervous atmosphere around Anfield in the final 10 minutes of the match. There always seems to be that fear that Liverpool will allow their lead to slip.

When Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers in October, it was never going to be an easy task for the former Borussia Dortmund boss. The eccentric German was welcomed to Anfield with open arms due to his charisma and 'full throttle' approach on the pitch, but it is clear that Klopp will need time to put his stamp on the team. There has been a sense of togetherness among the squad, but that clinical touch has been missing, particularly from Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana. Klopp may need to jump into the transfer window in January in order to get more of a sense that this is his team.

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Injuries have played a big part in Liverpool's season so far as they have spent large chunks of the campaign without key players, including their captain Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge. Injuries in defence have also been a problem, with both Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho having spells on the sidelines, while Martin Skrtel now faces a six-week layoff.

It's safe to say that Sturridge has had a frustrating 18 months at Liverpool due to injuries. The England international has had numerous setbacks since having surgery on his hip in the summer. There also seems to be a difference of opinion between Sturridge and Klopp with regards to what is pain, and what is 'real' pain? On Boxing Day, Sturridge tweeted that he was "good to go", suggesting that he has recovered from a hamstring injury, but Klopp has been reluctant to deliver a similar message. When Sturridge is fit, he is a vital member of the team, like he showed against Southampton when he scored twice, but at the moment, injuries are preventing him from getting a regular stint in the team.

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HEAD TO HEAD: Sorry Sunderland fans, but the history books are not great reading for you! The Black Cats have earned just two points from their last six Premier League games against Liverpool. In addition to that, the Reds have only conceded 10 times in their last 22 league meetings with Sunderland. Last season, the Reds sealed a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, but were held to a goalless draw at Anfield in the 2014-15 campaign.

PREDICTION: If you consider the statistics alone, everything is pointing to a Liverpool win, and on paper, the Reds should be taking all three points this evening. However, at this stage of the season, Sunderland need every point that they can get and given that they have lost their last four on the trot, they cannot afford to record a fifth. Liverpool have been inconsistent and Klopp is inexperienced when it comes to the busy fixture list over Christmas. The Reds will be lifted by their win over Leicester, and they should be beating Sunderland tonight, but don't be surprised if we get a score draw on Wearside.

Right, the teams are on the pitch and we are just a few minutes from kickoff. Prior to that, the stadium will hold a minute's silence for all the former players, staff and fans who passed away in 2015.

KICKOFF! Sunderland, in their tradition red and white stripes, get the game underway. Liverpool are donning their black kit.

Liverpool have the ball in these early stages and they seem happy to knock it across the back, trying to figure out how to get through Sunderland's midfield.

Moreno swings the ball into the box searching for Benteke, who gets a touch, but Sunderland players fill the area and snatch the ball away. It doesn't go far, though, as Moreno charges through, but the hosts eventually clear the danger.

Some nervy moments for Liverpool as Defoe takes a decent first touch on the edge of the area before pulling away from Sakho. Moreno spots the danger and gets across to cover and the ball is cleared. Some encouragement for Sunderland there.

At the other end, Lallana is given time by Sunderland's defence to move to the edge of the box and lift the ball over the top searching for Benteke, who rises in the area, but he fails to connect with the ball.

SAVE! Clyne goes for glory and it's not a bad effort! The Liverpool full-back picks up the ball from about 35 yards out and smashes the ball towards goal - it's dipping, but Mannone is able to get his hands on it relatively comfortably. It's been a good start from the visitors.

Dear oh dear! Coates sends the ball straight to Coutinho, who springs forward in the Sunderland half with five of his teammates charging alongside him. The Brazilian opts to play in Firmino on the left, but the attacker's control is terrible and the ball bounces off his shin and behind for a goal kick.

Both sides have been guilty of sloppy passing in these last couple of minutes as they search for some fluidity. Sunderland go on the attack, but struggle to find a way through. Rodwell unleashes a shot five yards from the edge of the box, but it's blocked by Can and goes out for a corner, which comes to nothing for the hosts.

Lovren plays the ball into Coutinho's feet and the Brazilian manages to muscle his way out of a tussle with Cattermole. The playmaker tries a curling effort outside of the 18-yard box, but he's well wide of the target.

Van Aanholt and Rodwell give the ball away in quick succession and the break looks on for Liverpool, but Lovren's pass to the right, where Firmino is placed, trickles out of play.

SAVE! Mignolet is called on for the first time in this game as Defoe does well to hold off Sakho before cutting across and unleashing a left-footed shot at goal, but Mignolet blocks the shot.

At the other end, Liverpool get a free kick in a dangerous position just outside of the area. Coutinho has scored from similar set pieces many times before, but this time, even though he gets the ball over the wall, his effort is too high and fails to trouble Mannone.

It's all Liverpool at the moment as they try to find a way through. Coutinho let's the ball run and Moreno list the ball over the top, but Mannone is able to come off his line and collect with ease.

BOOKING! Benteke is the first player to be cautioned this afternoon and it's a correct call from the referee. The Liverpool striker is punished for a high foot while Mannone tries to clear the ball.

There's not much fluidity from either side at the moment. Liverpool have had the majority of possession and have shown attacking intent, and while Mannone has been the busier of the keepers, he has not been hugely tested.

From Sunderland's point of view, they have managed to keep Liverpool relatively quiet and they look compact as a team. Defoe has shown glimpses of quality, but he's not had the ball enough to cause problems for the visitors.

OFF THE POST! Wow, that came out of nowhere from Firmino! The Brazilian collects the ball from about 20 yards out and looks to be struggling to get through the Sunderland defence, but then he wriggles away into space and sends a powerful shot towards goal. Mannone does well to get fingertips on the ball to send it clattering off the post.

Coutinho sends a decent through-ball towards Benteke, who would be one on one with the keeper if he latches onto it, but he fails to do so and Mannone comes off his line to gather the ball.

Oh dear, this doesn't look good for Rodwell. The midfielder, who has had a string of injury problems in his career at Sunderland, seeks medical treatment on the pitch and needs to be replaced.

SUNDERLAND SUB: That's the end of Rodwell's night as he comes off the pitch, making way for Watmore.

Watmore shows his energy instantly as he surges towards the edge of the box, but Lallana drops back and stops the Sunderland man in his tracks. Watmore doesn't give up, though, as he tries to win the ball back and puts in a well-timed tackle to stop Clyne from charging down the flank.

CHANCE! Borini comes close to scoring against his former club! The Italian receives the ball from Van Aanholt in the middle of the box. He lets the ball roll across before unleashing a shot on the turn. Mignolet doesn't move, but Borini just misses the target - Sunderland's best chance so far!

Sunderland are doing much better off the ball than they have in previous games. They are working hard and closing down Liverpool players, who are finding it difficult to find their way through.

SAVE! Mannone keeps Firmino out again, but Sunderland are disappointed that Clyne was not penalised for a handball just outside of the box. Referee Kevin Friend allows play to go on as Clyne whips a cross into the box and the ball finds the head of Firmino, who nods towards goal, but it's comfortably saved by the Sunderland keeper.

There's some concern over Henderson's fitness as he chats to a member of Liverpool's medical staff. He walks off the pitch but seems okay to continue. The Reds will be hoping that it was only a minor issue.

Oh dear, what a poor free kick from Johnson! Sunderland get a great opportunity when the whistle is blown after Sakho brings down Defoe on the edge of the penalty area. Johnson takes the set piece and manages to lift the ball over the wall, but his attempt goes high over the crossbar.

CHANCE! A decent opportunity for Liverpool as Clyne sends the ball over the top for Benteke. Mannone rushes off his line in an attempt to punch clear, but he misses it. Thankfully for him, Coates is there to get a head to the ball before Benteke.

It's a well-worked corner from Liverpool as it's sent low into space, which Henderson runs into unmarked. The Liverpool skipper drills a low shot towards goal, but the crowd of bodies block the ball from getting through. Some very poor marking from Sunderland.

Liverpool are ending the first half on the attack, but Sunderland are keeping their discipline and stopping the visitors from finding a way through. That's pretty much been the theme of the evening so far.

So, it's goalless at the break, with Roberto Firmino and Fabio Borini having the best chances for either side. Vito Mannone made two important saves to deny the Brazilian, while Borini's attempt against his former club went just wide. In all honesty, neither side have been particularly threatening in an attacking sense. Liverpool have had the majority of the possession and dictated play at times, but the Black Cats have been solid and disciplined, frustrating their opponents.

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Liverpool have done well on the road under Jurgen Klopp this season against sides who play out from the back, but they have struggled to break down teams who pack their own halves, and that's exactly what's happened here. Sunderland seem to be happy to take home a point this evening and they are doing well defensively. Up front, the Black Cats have looked threatening when on the ball, but like Liverpool, that final touch has been missing.

As mentioned, Firmino has had the best chances of the game for Liverpool and he should really be boring at least one of them. The Brazilian did well to get a long-range shot on target, but Mannone managed to nudge the ball onto the post. His second decent chance was a header from the box, but it was a relatively tame effort and was easily held by the keeper.

I expect Sunderland will keep with their solid shape when they return for the second half, but Liverpool will need to find that extra bit of quality if they want to win the game and go level with Manchester United on 30 points.

RESTART! Liverpool get the second half underway. Will we see a winner? Well, we have 45 minutes to find out!

Wow, what a perfect start to the second half for Liverpool! Benteke has put the Reds ahead seconds after the restart. Lallana diverts Clyne's through ball into the box, where the striker spotted it and latched on to slot the ball past Mannone and into the back of the net.

Lallana got the touch, but I'm not sure whether the England international meant it! Either way it won't matter for Lallana as his team go ahead at the Stadium of Light. Can Sunderland respond?

Sunderland get a free kick in the final third and it's played into feet by Johnson, who eventually gets the ball back and goes for a powerful shot, but it's blocked by Sakho and the chance goes begging for the home side.

It's a bit stop-start at the moment as both teams give the ball away cheaply. It will be interesting to see how Sunderland approach the game now. They frustrated Liverpool well in the first half, but they will need to be more attacking in order to get anything out of this game now.

CHANCE! Borini is involved again as Van Aanholt passes the ball to him on the edge of the penalty area. The Italian turns well and manages to wriggle past two Liverpool players before aiming a low drive at goal, but he hits it straight at Mignolet.

Sunderland have a bit of momentum as the ball is whipped in from a set piece. The ball drifts across to M'Vila, but the Sunderland player fails to get there in time to get a head on it and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

Borini is determined to do well this evening, as expected against his former club. He surges through the middle of field, but is brought to ground by Can. The German gets the ball, but he also gets the man. He's not happy about being penalised but there's nothing he can do about it!

BOOKING! Can also gets cautioned by the referee - that's either for the tackle itself or for his reaction to the whistle.

Sunderland keep trying to close down the Liverpool players when they're off the ball and the visitors are struggling to string a decent move together.

LIVERPOOL SUB: It's disappointing for Henderson as he is replaced by Lucas early in this second half. The Liverpool skipper had been limping slightly in the last few minutes, but the club will be hoping that it is nothing serious.

Benteke finds himself on the left side of the box and cuts inside before playing the ball back to Coutinho, who swings a shot towards goal, but Cattermole does well to block the effort.

SUNDERLAND SUB: The home side make a change as Lens comes on for Johnson with just under half an hour left to go.

Liverpool are struggling to keep hold of the ball at the moment and that's largely because of Sunderland's closing down. The hosts get themselves a corner, which is swung in by Van Aanholt, but it fails to get past the first man and is cleared. Sunderland keep up the pressure though and it needs a scrappy clearance from Lallana to give Liverpool some breathing room.

Can and Coutinho link up well with some lovely one-touch football, but there's no end product as Coutinho opts against going for goal himself and instead plays in Can, but it's a heavy touch and the ball eventually bounces off the midfielder and behind for a Sunderland goal kick.

Watmore's desire to snatch the ball draws in a foul from Sakho, who gives away a free kick on the right side of the final third, but Sunderland fail to make the most of it as the ball from the set piece is headed clear.

Can is receiving some medical treatment after hurting his head while vying for the ball in the air from two Sunderland players, but the Liverpool midfielder is fine to continue.

Sunderland are on the break, but Lucas does well to win the ball back before unleashing an attack of his own. The midfielder drives forward and sends the ball out wide right to Coutinho, who goes for a low shot at goal, but Mannone drops down to collect comfortably.

SUNDERLAND SUB: The home side make another change as Coates makes way for Yedlin. Eighteen minutes left for the Black Cats to get something out of this game.

Some lovely skill from Coutinho as he back-heels the ball to meet Benteke's run in the final third. The Belgian gets to the ball and crosses into the box searching for Can, but the chance goes missing as the midfielder fails to connect.

Cattermole fails to control the ball in the middle of the park and Lucas makes the most of it by snatching back possession, but Liverpool fail to keep hold of it.

Benteke and Coutinho link up again with some nice one-touch play in the middle of the box, but Jones does well to block the Brazilian playmaker's shot.

Some very scrappy defending from Liverpool as Sunderland's corner comes in. None of the players clear the ball with conviction and it eventually bobbles to Watmore, who has a tame effort at goal, but it bounces off Mignolet and goes out for another corner, which comes to nothing.

Liverpool may be winning the game at the moment, but it's clear from the touchline that Klopp is not impressed with his team. He's been yelling, gesticulating and has even turned away in frustration at times!

Both sides are struggling to keep the ball on the ground at the moment. There is no fluidity, but Can tries to make things happen by storming down the right side. He cuts inside and plays the ball back to Firmino from the byline, but the Brazilian is unable to control it and the chance goes missing.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Jordon Ibe has been summoned and will replace Coutinho for the final seven minutes of normal time.

Some nervy defending again from Liverpool as the cross comes in from Watmore, but the ball falls to Clyne, whose headed clearance is poor and keeps Sunderland's attack alive. The ball eventually falls into the hands of Mignolet, but the home side probably feel that they can cause a late upset here.

BOOKING! Sakho crashes to the ground clutching his leg after Lens bashes into him trying to chase the ball. The referee feels that a yellow card is sufficient punishment.

CHANCE! Ibe has a great chance to wrap the game up for Liverpool, but he squanders it. Firmino nicks the ball off Sunderland on the edge of the box and is unselfish as he plays the ball across to Ibe. The youngster takes a few touches before unleashing a shot, but his effort flies above the crossbar.

The fourth official indicates four minutes of added time. Can Sunderland get an equaliser?

MISS! Dear oh dear, Benteke should have made it two! Like at the weekend against Leicester, Benteke is one on one with the keeper after reciting a through ball from Firmino, but he shoots the ball straight to the feet of Mannone, who kicks clear. Very poor from the Liverpool striker.

LIVERPOOL SUB: The message is clear from the visitors - keep hold of this one-goal lead. Kolo Toure comes onto the pitch to replace Firmino.

Sunderland are on the frontfoot, but the quality is not there to cause problems, even though Liverpool are defending nervously!

It's last chance saloon for Sunderland as they get a late corner. Mannone comes up for it and tries to connect with the ball, but Mignolet eventually punches clear.

It's all over at the Stadium of Light and unfortunately for the hosts Sunderland, they have recorded their fifth consecutive defeat in the Premier League and they remain seven points adrift of safety. For Liverpool, they move up to seventh place and are level on 30 points with rivals Manchester United, five points adrift of the final Champions League spot.

Christian Benteke's single goal was enough to give Liverpool the win this evening, but it seems as though Jurgen Klopp was less than impressed with his team's performance. They were made to fight hard for it as Sunderland were able to frustrate them, but they got there in the end. From the Black Cats' perspective, they are missing that quality in the final third and now face a huge battle to secure survival. That's all from us this evening. Thank you for following Sports Mole's coverage, and until next time, goodbye!