Christian Benteke sealed victory for Liverpool for a second game running as his strike was enough to see off Sunderland 1-0 and keep them mired in the fight for Premier League survival.
Benteke was restored to Liverpool’s line-up at the Stadium of Light after scoring the winner against Leicester City as a substitute on Boxing Day and he again proved decisive, breaking the deadlock just 22 seconds into the second half of English football’s final game of 2015.
The Belgian’s sixth goal in seven games against the Black Cats was borne out of sloppy Sunderland play, which Sam Allardyce has failed to eradicate fully since replacing Dick Advocaat.
Allardyce has overseen five consecutive defeats since three early wins in the Sunderland hotseat and Wednesday’s announcement that a fee has been agreed for Lorient defender Lamine Kone shows the former West Ham boss is keen to make swift changes once the transfer window reopens on Friday.
The Wearsiders have pulled off miraculous escapes from peril in recent seasons and sit seven points from safety at the campaign’s halfway stage, leaving Allardyce needing something equally phenomenal to keep them up.