Liverpool squander two-goal lead to Sunderland after fan walkout

Sunderland scored two late goals to secure a 2-2 draw at Liverpool following a supporter walkout at Anfield.

Many Liverpool fans left the ground after 77 minutes in protest against proposed ticket price rises, but many would have been tempted to leave much earlier during a first half that was short on chances at both ends.

The hosts bossed possession, but a lack of an obvious focal point in their attack made it relatively straightforward for the deep-lying visiting defence to soak up the pressure and look for Jermain Defoe on the break.

The impressive Roberto Firmino sparked Liverpool into life after the break, scoring a first with a fine header and then setting up Adam Lallana with unselfish play.

However, with the ground only half-full, goals inside the last 10 minutes from Adam Johnson and Jermain Defoe snatched a share of the points for Sunderland.

Johnson pulled one back with a low free-kick that squirmed past Simon Mignolet, before Defoe turned and fired into the net in the dying seconds.

Liverpool were unable to take inspiration from their manager Jurgen Klopp, who was forced to miss the game due to a suspected bout of appendicitis - meaning there was no chance of him repeating his clash with Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce.

Big Sam called the Reds chief a ‘soft German’ due to his complaints about tactics and style in the 1-0 Liverpool win on December 30th. But anybody who has endured appendicitis will know that there is nothing soft about having to take a day off work when in that sort of pain.

Allardyce looked slightly lost on the Anfield touchline without his opposite number to bounce off, but his tactical plan to deal with Liverpool worked to perfection in the first half and his introduction of Johnson late on inspired the comeback.

19’ – SHOT – It's the first chance of the game and it falls to Liverpool's Alberto Moreno. The full-back is fed in behind by Lallana, but his shot is well saved at the near post by Vito Mannone.

44’ – MISS – What on earth is Moreno doing? A Lallana cross is flicked on towards the full-back, who is in-front of his marker at the back post but for some reason goes for a low header... and succeeds only in looping the ball over the bar from six yards out. That should have been 1-0. Bizarre.

59’– GOAL!Liverpool 1-0 Sunderland: Firmino opens the scoring for Liverpool, pulling off the back of his marker and planting a deep Milner cross back across the keeper and into the far corner.

70’– GOAL!Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland: Firmino robs possession and bursts into the box before unselfishly squaring for Adam Lallana. The England international allows the ball to run across his body to wrong-foot the covering defender and then simply strokes his shot into an unguarded net.

76’ – PROTEST – The noise cranks up a notch at Anfield as the fans begin a protest about raised ticket prices for next season.

78’ – PROTEST – And now, as promised, a large number of the supporters stage a walk-out. There are an impressive number of fans actually leaving and you have to feel that they have a point.

82’ – GOAL!Liverpool 2-1 Sunderland: Adam Johnson pulls one back for Sunderland, squeezing a free-kick around the wall and into the bottom corner. Mignolet really should have stopped that - maybe he's protesting about ticket prices as well.

89’ – GOAL!Liverpool 2-2 Sunderland Jermain Defoe equalises for Sunderland, twisting in the box and thudding a shot past Mignolet.

Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) – The forward was the only player who really impressed for a Liverpool side who were tidy in midfield but lacked much in the way of cutting edge. On multiple occasions it was Firmino who created space for teammates in the final third, only to see them waste his good work, so he took it on himself to give the Reds the lead with a lovely header back across the goalkeeper. It’s not just on the ball where Firmino is an asset and his harrying allowed him to win the ball back and set up the second. What happened from there on can’t be attributed to the Brazilian.

Liverpool: Mignolet 3; Clyne 6, Lovren 5, Sakho 5, Moreno 4; Allen 5, Henderson 5, Can 7; Milner 6, Lallana 7, Firmino 8. Subs: Toure, Ibe, Lucas.

Sunderland: Mannone 6; Jones 6, van Aanholt 6, O’Shea 6, Kone, 6 Kirchhoff 6; Cattermole 5, M’Vila 7, Khazri 6, Watmore 5; Defoe 7. Substitutes: N’Doye 6, Johnson 7, Yedlin 5.

Liverpool have only won two of their eight league matches at Anfield since Jurgen Klopp's arrival (W2, D4, L2).

Roberto Firmino has scored five goals in his last five league matches, having scored just once in his previous 17 appearances.

Sam Allardyce (13) has now managed more PL matches at Anfield without ever winning than any other manager. He was previously level with David Moyes (12).

This was the first time in over a year that Liverpool failed to win after leading by at least two goals.

Do Liverpool need a change of formation? Roberto Firmino is developing into a serious prospect for Liverpool, but the Brazilian prefers to drop deep and looks like he’d be perfect for a formation where he can link up with a more natural centre-forward. And it’s not like Liverpool don’t have strikers in the squad – although a fully fit Daniel Sturridge would certainly help. Without somebody to lead the line and with so many similar players in midfield, this current Liverpool are always going to struggle to break teams down and managers from the teams lower in the league are going to keep on copying the ‘Big Sam’ model and pack men behind the ball at Anfield.