Sunderland dealt another crushing blow to Liverpool's top-four hopes on Saturday as they edged a forgettable contest at the Stadium of Light 1-0.
Liverpool lose on the road to remain 10 points adrift of top four
Sunderland dealt another crushing blow to Liverpool's top-four hopes on Saturday as they edged a forgettable contest at the Stadium of Light 1-0.
Nicklas Bendtner netted the only goal of the game as the Black Cats snapped out of a three-match winless run and clambered back into the top half of the table - just two points adrift of their weekend opponents.
A lacklustre Liverpool side struggled to create anything during the opening 45 minutes, and the hosts were only marginally better.
The second half also produced few moments of note, but Sunderland were at least able to break the deadlock on 56 minutes and give their supporters something to get excited about.
Fraizer Campbell did well to work a yard of space on the edge of the box and after his low drive cannoned off the post and onto the back of Jose Reina, Bendtner was on hand to bundle the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Drama
After all the drama of last weekend's derby trip to St James' Park, it was perhaps inevitable that the game would not live up to one which has occupied the minds of the Wearside faithful ever since.
In the event, the opening 45 minutes was tepid by comparison, and although there was no lack of effort or endeavour, neither side was able to create clear-cut opportunities.
Encouraged by an uncertain display by Liverpool central defender Sebastian Coates, Bendtner - whose penalty almost claimed the derby headlines - caused problems throughout the first half - although was never really able to test Reina.
At the other end, Newcastle old boy Crag Bellamy and striker Luis Suarez were lively, but again, Simon Mignolet's anxious moments were few and far between.
It was Black Cats defender John O'Shea, playing with a lightweight cast protecting a broken bone in his hand, who almost opened the scoring with nine minutes gone when he glanced a header just high and wide from Sebastian Larsson's free-kick.
Trouble
Bendtner failed to trouble Reina unduly two minutes later after Campbell had headed down Larsson's corner to him, and the Dane saw his low cross elude all the red and white shirts in the middle seconds later.
But as the half wore on, the visitors started to make an impression, and Wayne Bridge - making his first start for Sunderland - managed to do just enough to put off Suarez as he stooped to meet Charlie Adam's corner just two yards out.
Adam himself blazed a 32nd-minute effort high over the top after running onto the ball on the edge of the penalty area seconds after Dirk Kuyt had seen a flicked header easily saved by Mignolet.
Craig Gardner failed to hit the target from distance six minutes before the break after being set up neatly by Bendtner, but it was Mignolet who proved the busier of the two keepers as the half drew to a close.
The Belgium international almost misjudged Adam's 43rd-minute free-kick, but eventually managed to tip it over the bar at full-stretch, and he produced a vital block after Suarez got in and shot from a tight angle in injury-time.
Sunderland returned in determined mood and went close with 50 minutes gone when, in his eagerness to get to James McClean's driven cross ahead of Campbell, Martin Skrtel only succeeded in prompting his own keeper to make a smart save.
Bizarre
The home side took the lead in bizarre fashion, after Campbell picked up possession 25
