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When is Sunderland vs Liverpool?
The last match of the Boxing Day set of fixtures, Sunderland host Liverpool at 7.45pm at the Stadium of Light. The hosts go into the match 19th in the Premier League table and already seven points from safety. Liverpool sit 10th but can go level with sixth-placed Manchester United with victory.
What TV channel is the game on?
The match will be televised on Sky Sports 1 and coverage begins at 7pm.
What are the managers saying?
"We are struggling in defending terms; we aren't getting in people's faces and aren't closing the opposition down enough," said Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce.
"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."
Say it, don't spray it Sam Allardyce
He continued: "The gap between games and points cannot get into double figures. That would be a huge task. You'd be asking a club to win three or four games on the trot.
"It's happened at this club, it's happened to many, many clubs, but it's not the position you want to be in as a manager, having to win four games out of six when you have never done it in the entire season.
"For us, it's about making sure we keep the gap and close that gap consistently over the Christmas and New Year period, where we chip away and chip a point here and a point back there and we start closing that gap as quickly as we can.
"It's exactly what I did at Blackburn when I got there and by the time there were two games left, we were safe. That's the best way to do it and it does relieve the pressure if you do it like that, chipping away here and there and not looking for miraculous runs of results."
Jurgen Klopp can fist pump with the best of them
His Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp said: "There's no doubt about the individual quality of the players, there's no doubt about the character.
"What we have to create is a stable level of performance, that's what we have to work on. Now the next station is Sunderland and we have to go there and be concentrated from the first second, like we were against Leicester.
"(It was) a really good start in that game - I was happy about this - and now we have to do it again.
"That's the thing. If we do this, then we can get results in a row. But it's no presents, we have to work for it."
Chris Bascombe's prediction
After suffering from the direct approach favoured by Crystal Palace and Watford, Jurgen Klopp feels he is well prepared for the trip to Sunderland. Sam Allardyce would love nothing more than to hear the Liverpool manager complaining about long ball football. This will be a physical test for a visiting side that has started look fragile on the road, but Sunderland's need is desperate.
Prediction
Sunderland 1 Liverpool 2
What are the Sunderland vs Liverpool odds?
Sunderland: 9/2
Liverpool: 7/10
Draw: 3/1
Your prediction
Team news and possible starting XIs
Sunderland: Pantilimon; Jones, Coates, Brown, Van Aanholt; Rodwell, Cattermole, M'Vila; Watmore, Fletcher, Borini.
Liverpool: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Henderson, Can; Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho; Benteke.
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