Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0

I was only thinking last week how much I was enjoying the international break. Not because I have any interest in international football (I don’t), but because it gave me a couple of weeks in which I didn’t have to worry about Liverpool’s (mis)fortunes. So it was with a heavy heart that I approached today’s match against Sunderland.

The pre-match build up was all about the absence of Gerrard and Torres, but these weren’t the only significant changes to the line up. Mascherano only started on the bench, which meant a first Premier League start for Jay Spearing. Daniel Agger made his first appearance of the season and promptly found himself in an unfamiliar three-at-the-back formation. All in all, the omens were not good.

I listened to the first half on the radio, and the play was clearly all Sunderland’s, so it wasn’t a surprise when they took the lead after 5 minutes, with a goal from Darren Bent. What was surprising was that the goal came from a seemingly impossible deflection off a balloon. Yes, a balloon. I’ve not seen it, and rest assured I will do my very best to never see it, so I can’t really explain how it happened. It does somehow seem metaphorically very fitting with what is happening to the Reds’ season.

I vowed not to listen to any of the second half and to just read my book instead, but I, of course, couldn’t stay away completely. Every time I flicked the radio on Liverpool seemed no closer to equalising and Sunderland had quite a few more chances. Liverpool couldn’t even take advantage of a ridiculous seven minutes of injury time to scrape a lucky draw.

I honestly don’t know where Liverpool’s season goes from here, but even the most optimistic part of me now concedes that any chance of winning the league has gone. Just remember, it’s only a game.