Goals in each half from Momo Sissoko and Andrei Voronin were enough for Liverpool to edge out a 2-0 win in what was otherwise a keenly contested game at the Stadium of Light on Saturday lunchtime.

Roy Keane made just one change to the side that started last weeks' 3-0 loss at Wigan, as Anthony Stokes was dropped on the right wing in favour of Liam Miller, while Grant Leadbitter was named on the bench as he returned from injury a week earlier than expected. Liverpool, on the other hand, rested Steven Gerrard as he recovers from a broken toe, as £26.5m summer signing Fernando Torres started up front.

The Reds could have been ahead after just 40 seconds, when Greg Halford underhit a backpass, allowing Andrei Voronin through on goal, but Craig Gordon managed to kill the momentum of the ball before it was cleared off the line by McShane. Sunderland were struggling from there on, as our few chances forward caused Pepe Reina no problems, and we almost had another injury scare in the ninth minute, when McShane went down badly on his shoulder following a challenge with Torres.

McShane was able to continue, but both sides were forced into changes, as Sami Hyypia went off on the quarter hour mark with a facial injury, before another injury saw Anthony Stokes replace Kieran Richardson five minutes later. By that time, Sunderland did have some control in the game, but were unable to create any chances in the final third, save for Stokes' first time shot on Reina on 24 minutes. Liverpool pushed on from there, with Nosworthy having to race back to clear the ball as Torres beared down on goal, before Nyron had to clear away a free kick following Stokes' foul on the left wing.

Liverpool finally found a way through late on in the first half, with what was their first real chance of the game, as a ball across the box was headed away from goal by Jermaine Pennant, allowing Voronin to tee up Momo Sissoko for a 20 yard low shot that found a way past an unsighted Gordon and into the bottom corner of the net. The visitors could have extended their lead before the break, but McShane kept Torres away from a Voronin cross, as Sissoko blasted wide from 25 yards going into half time.

Sunderland struggled to make much headway in the second half, as Torres forced a fine save from Gordon seven minutes after the restart, before Voronin had a penalty claim turned down following a challenge in the box from McShane. At the other end, Steve Finnan blocked an effort from Daryl Murphy, before Greg Halford headed Stokes' cross wide of goal.

There was some confusion in the final 20 minutes as Liverpool aborted a substitution at the last minute, when Jamie Carragher threw a tantrum on the pitch as Ryan Babel looked set to come off the field. In all fairness, Carragher did end up having broken ribs following a collision with his own goalkeeper minutes earlier, but the defender played on and seemingly tried to get himself sent off for a deliberate handball before finally going off on 75 minutes, with John Arne Riise replacing him.

After all that died down, Sunderland came close to equalising with Stokes' right footed effort forcing Reina into another save, but Liverpool went down the other end and tested Britain's most expensive keeper once more, this time with Voronin proving Gordon's worth. However, with three minutes left, the Ukranian finally beat the Scotsman, as Voronin beat Halford to fire a low shot home to make it 2-0.

Sunderland saw a late penalty claim dismissed, but at the end of the day they were fairly beaten by the better side in what was a much-improved performance than what we all saw at the JJB Stadium one week earlier.

Sunderland: Gordon, Halford, Nosworthy, McShane, Wallace, Miller, Etuhu, Richardson (sub 20, Stokes), Yorke (sub 61, Leadbitter), Chopra, Murphy (sub 78, Connolly). Subs: Ward, Anderson.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher (sub 75, Riise), Hyypia (sub 15, Agger), Arbeloa, Pennant, Alonso, Sissoko, Babel (sub 88, Kuyt), Torres, Voronin. Subs: Itandje, Mascherano.