No luck for Black Cats against Liverpool

Liverpool 1 Sunderland 0

Liverpool clung to send 10-man Sunderland to a second successive defeat on their return to the Premiership.

Xabi Alonso struck a sweet free-kick in the first half and Liverpool should then have moved into top gear to claim a regulation victory.

But Sunderland battled hard, making Liverpool fight right to the end despite having Andy Welsh controversially sent off in the second period.