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Martin Wanless predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Diarra
We don’t need to fear anyone at the Stadium of Light and Liverpool’s away record suggests we’ve got a good chance of getting something tonight.
Of course, it’ll be incredibly tough, but Liverpool can be beaten, and I think we can secure all three points tonight.
Granted, the bookies will have Liverpool as favourites, and rightly so, but under the lights at home, we can cause a surprise, and if we play to our strengths, we can secure all three points.
Habib Diarra to get the winner.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 02: Habib Diarra of Sunderland scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Burnley at Stadium of Light on February 02, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Getty Images
‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
This could well be a very tough evening, but we have it in us to get a win, or at least a draw if the fans and the team rise to their best as one.
I will be there with my lad and my Uncle, so I am hoping the mid-week evening trip from Cambridgeshire is made extra worthwhile with a big W for the lads.
Liverpool have as many issues with missing staff as us, but they have established a depth in their squad that we don’t yet have. But after a loss like their last home one, we can rattle them.
I think we will soak up the first half hour, get a goal from the unit that is Brian Brobbey in the early second half, and then survive the onslaught through the talents of Ballard, Mukiele, Alderete, Reinildo and Roefs.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – JANUARY 17: Brian Brobbey of Sunderland celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate Dennis Cirkin during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Crystal Palace at Stadium of Light on January 17, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Getty Images
Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Liverpool 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Enzo Le Fée
I’m looking forward to getting back the Fortress of Light, after we learned a lesson away at Arsenal.
For all we did well, and there was plenty of it, we weren’t quite ruthless enough and ended up outclassed by the likely champions elect.
We can’t let that affect us, and focus on a stuttering Liverpool team who are ripe for the taking. We were unlucky not to take all three points at Anfield, and I think our physicality, pace and determination will bowl them over.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s red card is a boost, not only because of his quality, but also due to Liverpool’s ongoing right back crisis (see also: Liverpool’s pursuit of Lutsharel Geertruida).
I think we will approach the game similarly to the Arsenal one, but Liverpool will lack that burst of quality Arsenal had, and we’ll come out on top.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Enzo Le Fee of Sunderland and Christian Norgaard of Arsenal fight for possesion during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on February 07, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) Getty Images
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 1
Sunderland’s First Goal Scorer : Brobbey
We showed at Anfield we can live with them, and even in the Arsenal game, there were spells where we looked like a top, top team. At home, under the lights, we usually raise it a level, but Liverpool still have enough quality to punish any slack moments.
In any event, missing another forward-thinking player in Szoboszlai, with maybe their 6th choice RB? Coming to an unbeaten SOL? Far from ideal for them.
Feels like one of those nights where we go toe‑to‑toe, land a few punches, take a few, and come out with something to show for it. Brobbey to rough them up early, and we grab a hard‑earned point, keeping the unbeaten record alive, and ticking over still in the top half after a few horrible games.
Liverpool’s Hungarian midfielder #08 Dominik Szoboszlai (R) fouls Manchester City’s Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (L) which resulted in a red card at the end of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / AFP via Getty Images
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
Despite the result, I was proud of how we played against what looks like this year’s league winners.
Tonight, we play last year’s winners, Liverpool, who come off a late, gut-punching loss to Man City.
They’ve not been the Liverpool of seasons before, with their title defence going out with a whimper.
They’ll be missing a few tonight, in particular Szoboszlai after his late red. I think the whole of Wearside will breathe a sigh of relief after his stunning free kick.
I would love to see us protect our unbeaten run at home, but I feel our first defeat at the SoL is imminent.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 7: Trai Hume of Sunderland and Leandro Trossard of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on February 7, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) Offside via Getty Images
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Liverpool 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
Listen, I know how it looks.
We’ve just been walloped by an amazing Arsenal side, and Liverpool are coming off the back of a really disappointing defeat against Man City.
Liverpool’s only real top-grade player this season, Szoboszlai, is suspended for this one, and they’ll have to look elsewhere for inspiration (not that they don’t have an abundance of talent to look to, of course)!
However, I think the lads will be on the comeback bounce themselves after the 3-0 result flattered Arsenal, really.
I expect the team to be ready for the challenge Liverpool creates and throw us straight back into the European places by causing an upset!
The fans will be on top voice too, even though it’ll be past my bedtime, I’ll still be there bellowing like a madman!
HAWAY THE LAAAAAAAAAAADS!
Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey (left) and Arsenal’s Noni Madueke battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday February 7, 2026. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images) PA Images via Getty Images
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
I thought we played quite well at Arsenal, and it was a real shame to come away with a result that looks like we got hammered. We took the game to them in spells and were undone by some quality goals.
Liverpool are the next team up to try and take away our unbeaten home record, and they pose a serious threat. They seem to be playing better, but they come into this game in mixed form, with one league win in 2026 – a superb 4-1 demolition of the mags. Even though they have been average at best away from home in the league, they still possess the quality to cause us problems. It’ll certainly help that Szoboszlai is suspended, and they’ll hopefully have had the wind knocked out of them following Man City’s late comeback at Anfield.
I think we can get a point tonight and keep the home run going. Brobbey should once again be an absolute pain and can get on the scoresheet if he opts to wear a paper shirt, as that’s the only thing that seems to allow defenders to nullify him.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal battles for possession with Noah Sadiki of Sunderland during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on February 07, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
It was a tough one on Saturday, showing the massive gulf from bottom to top of the league.
You make mistakes versus the big boys, and you get punished.
On their day, Liverpool can be the same; they are not in great form, and we have no reason to fear them.
We will, though, need to be at our best to keep our proud unbeaten home record.
So far this season, every loss has followed by a win, and I think that form will continue in front of another sold-out Stadium of Light crowd.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Robin Roefs of Sunderland reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on February 07, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Getty Images
The lads battled hard away at The Emirates but came away with a loss which flattered the hosts and didn’t at all reflect the tough game we gave The Gunners.
Had the one or two chances we had gone another way, or maybe if a penalty had been awarded (which we deserved at least one of, but didn’t get), then maybe we could have got something.
You do sometimes have to accept, however, that the quality we were facing, especially away from home, was just a bit too much of a stretch for us right now.
Maybe not later in this project, and maybe less so if our stellar skipper was available to visit his old gaff, but right now, a bridge a little too far.
Tonight we take on last season’s champions right after they suffered a defeat they probably feel they didn’t deserve, especially after that much clipped wonder goal.
These games are 90 minutes plus additional time every time, and we have shown we play “Til The End”, so maybe tonight is the night we can write another great chapter in this season’s list, by showing Liverpool it isn’t just Man City who can turn them over late on.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 02: Habib Diarra of Sunderland celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Burnley at Stadium of Light on February 02, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Getty Images
Only one of the lads got the full 4 points last time around, with Will foreseeing the 3-0 loss most accurately.
Matty and Gary got a couple each for the right outcome and correctly predicting we wouldn’t get it in the Arsenal onion sack.
The rest of the lads got nowt, but are hoping for different results this evening for sure.
Predictions table and standings
Will’s 4-pointer launches him into the lead by two, with Gary behind, and Malc 2 points further back.
The 2-point gap pattern continues down to joint 5th, with Martin and Gair breaking the model towards the bottom of the table.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – JANUARY 29: Head Coach Regis Le Bris shouts instruction during a training session at The Academy of Light on January 29, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images) Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
How the points are awarded
Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:
Correct score = Three pointsCorrect outcome (but not correct score) = One pointCorrect first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.