Sunderland v Liverpool: 14 vital pre-match stats
Ahead of tonight's Barclays Premier League clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, here are 14 key facts you should know about the game from club statistician Ged Rea…
Last season's meeting on Wearside saw Liverpool win 1-0 thanks to a ninth-minute Lazar Markovic goal - his first for the Reds in the Premier League. Sunderland were reduced to 10 men early in the second half after Liam Bridcutt was sent off.
In the last 61 league meetings home and away, the Reds have lost just five times.
Jordan Henderson scored five goals in 79 appearances in all competitions for Sunderland. He made his Liverpool debut against the Black Cats in August 2011.
Simon Mignolet played 101 times for Sunderland in his three-year spell with the Black Cats, including 90 in the league.
Only Nathaniel Clyne has played every minute of Liverpool's Barclays Premier League season so far.
Liverpool are looking to keep back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since August.
Sunderland had to wait until the 10th game of the campaign to record their first league win. They defeated rivals Newcastle United 3-0 on October 25, 16 days after Sam Allardyce succeeded Dick Advocaat as manager.
Since taking charge, Allardyce has overseen three wins and seven defeats in his 10 games. He became manager on October 9, the day after Liverpool appointed Jürgen Klopp.
Allardyce has managed teams 24 times against Liverpool (with Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle and West Ham United), winning five and losing 14 in all competitions. His only win in the last 12 fixtures came early last season when West Ham won 3-1 at Upton Park.
Sunderland have conceded only nine goals at home this season in the Premier League. No team in the bottom half has conceded fewer on home soil.
The Reds’ leading scorer in the league in 2015 is Philippe Coutinho with eight followed by Steven Gerrard with six. Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke and Henderson are third on the list with five.
Liverpool have suffered only three defeats in the last 30 league visits to Sunderland dating back to August 1958. They have won 18 and drawn nine, but have been beaten in two of the last six.
The Reds have only conceded 10 goals in their last 23 league visits to Sunderland, keeping 15 clean sheets in the process.
The Black Cats have not scored a single league goal before the 45th minute in any of their last 10 matches.