Sunderland suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time this season
Sunderland's unbeaten home league record came to an end on Wednesday night as they were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool at the Stadium of Light.
Phil Smith was there reporting for The Echo and these were his key conclusions..
Sunderland's proud record ends with flat performance - but Liverpool show their class
In the opening moments of this game, the crowd roared in approval as Sunderland got up the pitch and snapped at Liverpool ankles. The intent to press and get on the front foot was obvious but it would be fair to say it did not last. Sunderland were second best in the first half and though they did improve in the second, the visitors continued to threaten consistently on the break and were in the end deserved winners.
If there was frustration for Sunderland and their supporters, it was that their proud home record came to an end on a night where they struggled to find the intensity that has defined such an impressive run. Perhaps lacking Granit Xhaka's influence to drag up them the pitch and certainly missing his ability to set the tempo on the ball, Sunderland ended up too deep for much of the first half in particular and it made for a frustrating spectacle.
Credit for this must go to Liverpool as well, though. This has been a difficult campaign for Arne Slot's side but they are significantly improved from the last time these two sides met, Hugo Ekitike providing an all-round threat up front that Alexander Isak wasn't able to back in December. In midfield they were dominant, Régis Le Bris explaining after the game that quick interplay had pulled Sunderland out of position and prevented them from applying an effective press high up the pitch. Even when Sunderland did get close, there was an intensity and physicality about Liverpool's play that had been absent a few months back. Credit must also go to Ibrahima Konate, a player who has faced criticism this season but was excellent against Brian Brobbey. Sunderland were below par here, but they were also playing a significantly superior side now getting nearer to their best. Just four days after facing a brilliant Arsenal side away from home, there are reasons why the Black Cats maybe weren't able to find the level they needed.
Florian Wirtz highlights the gulf
Wirtz had been a key player in the 1-1 draw between these two sides at Anfield earlier in the season, his shot deflected in to rescue a point for the hosts. It would be to say he flickered in that game, though, showing promise without fully stamping his authority on it. Here he was a different proposition entirely, consistently picking up dangerous positions and troubling Sunderland's midfielders with his clever moment. Perhaps most notable was how much quicker and stronger he looked, Sunderland finding that they couldn't push him off the ball easily in tight spaces. It was perhaps the most impressive individual performance of the campaign from an opposition player at the Stadium of Light, and was a key reason why the Black Cats just couldn't really get a foothold in the game.
Wirtz was superb and let's be fair, so he should be. The 22-year-old cost a fee somewhere in the region of £100 million last summer, which was not far off the cumulative cost of the Sunderland starting XI. Sunderland will feel they could have given a better account of themselves than they ultimately managed here, but Liverpool's indifferent form this season shouldn't detract from the quality in their ranks.
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Trai Hume experiment divides opinion - but there's no obvious solution right now
Trai Hume's move to a more advanced position has not been without its successes, its first use coming in a brilliant team display away at Chelsea. More recently, he's also been part of strong team performances against Crystal Palace and Burnley - that Sunderland have been as creative and dangerous from open play in those games as they have been all season negates the argument that Hume's move forward has taken the team backwards. He may not be a winger by trade, but his role there allows Nordi Mukiele to overlap without worry and for Le Bris to play two attacking number eights infield.
Where it does clearly cause Sunderland an issue is in the moments where Hume is in advanced positions around or inside the box, he's a full back and though technically good never likely to be a regular source of goals. So what's the solution? Lutsharel Geertruida could come in, but would ultimately be another good defender playing as winger. The reality is that the natural wing options, Chemsdine Talbi and Romaine Mundle, have struggled to impact games consistently (though Talbi is a huge prospect off the left) and Hume brings more physically and defensively. It's fair to say that Hume on the wing isn't an ideal scenario, and what are seeing at the moment is that Granit Xhaka and Bertrand Traore are probably the two hardest outfield players to replace in this Sunderland squad at the moment. As Sunderland begin to prepare for the summer transfer window, the two positions where they most obviously need more quality and competition are glaringly obvious. Hume deserves immense credit for helping to navigate Sunderland through a difficult spot.
Cup clash comes at a good time for Sunderland
After gruelling back-to-back games, Sunderland's FA Cup clash at Oxford comes at a good time. We know Le Bris will rightly field a strong side, but there is the perfect opportunity to rest a couple of tired bodies and get some fresh energy into the side. Geertruida, O'Nien and Cirkin should all be ready to go and a cup clash feels like a good time for a change of pace. It won't be easy away from home and Oxford's assistant head coach Mike Dodds will undoubtedly have a solid out of possession game plan for the game, but a win would lift the mood and energy ahead of a couple of tricky but important games against Fulham and Bournemouth before the end of the month.
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