Alious
Liverpool head into their clash with Sunderland looking to secure consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since September — and two of football’s biggest pundits, **Paul Merson and Chris Sutton**, are united in their belief about what will unfold at Anfield.
Fresh off an important win against West Ham, Liverpool return home still under pressure, with manager **Arne Slot** facing scrutiny after a difficult spell marked by damaging defeats to Nottingham Forest and PSV. Much of the attention remains on **Mohamed Salah**, who was dropped to the bench in the last match, leaving Slot with more big decisions to make as he tries to guide his team back to stability.
Despite the questions surrounding Liverpool, **Merson is confident they’ll take another step forward**, predicting a 2–1 win and even expressing certainty about where the Reds will finish come season’s end.
Speaking to *Sportskeeda*, Merson said:
> “Sunderland were fantastic against a strong Bournemouth side last week, but I’m still backing Liverpool simply because they are Liverpool.”
He added that although **Alexander Isak’s** recent goal will boost the forward, the match won’t be straightforward, and Sunderland should make Liverpool work for the points. Merson also insisted:
> “Liverpool aren’t finishing outside the top four. They win today and keep climbing.”
Former Chelsea and Blackburn striker **Chris Sutton** offered the same 2–1 prediction for *BBC Sport*, though he sounded far less certain in his verdict. Sutton even joked about his track record of predicting Sunderland defeats — only for them to pull off surprise wins whenever he does.
> “Sunderland could absolutely go to Anfield and win — I genuinely mean that,” Sutton said, praising Regis Le Bris’ side for their resilience and quality.
Still, Sutton ultimately sided with Liverpool, believing they are unlikely to repeat the poor displays that led to their recent home losses.
A victory today would be hugely significant for the Reds. Despite their rough form over the past two months, three points could pull Liverpool level with Chelsea and Aston Villa, both of whom currently sit in the top four.
With both pundits aligned and Liverpool eager to rebuild momentum, all eyes turn to Anfield — where Sunderland will look to spoil the script once again.
Alious
