Gerrard Saves Liverpool The Blushes

Steven Gerrard rescued a point
for Liverpool at home to
Sunderland but the Reds'
season continues to stutter
with two more dropped
Premier League points.
The Reds, as they have been so
often in the past, were indebted
to their skipper as he headed
home Fernando Torres' excellent
cross midway through the
second period.
But the leveller could not paper
over the cracks of a largely poor
performance from the Anfield
outfit, coming just three days
following their humiliating
Carling Cup exit at the hands of
Northampton.
Liverpool took the lead with just
four minutes on the clock as
Michael Turner rolled a free-kick
back towards Simon Mignolet,
only for Torres to seize
possession before squaring for
Dirk Kuyt to slot home.
Sunderland were incensed,
apparently aggrieved that
Turner's pass was for Mignolet to
take the set-piece, but referee
Stuart Attwell allowed the goal to
stand after consulting with his
assistant.
The Black Cats were back on
terms before the half-hour mark
as Ahmed Elmohamady's cross
was clearly handled in the box by
Christian Poulsen, with Darren
Bent stepping up to make no
mistake from 12 yards.
Steve Bruce's men then stunned
Anfield into silence at the start of
the second period as Nedum
Onuoha's glorious cross was
headed home at the back post by
Bent.
Liverpool needed some
inspiration and it arrived in the
form of captain Gerrard, before
substitute Daniel Agger
somehow headed wide in the
seventh minute of added time
when unmarked four yards from
goal.