Gary Lineker admits he got it all wrong after what Sunderland star did at Anfield
Sunderland managed to secure another magnificent point away at Liverpool and even almost snatched the win in the dying moments.
Chemsdine Talbi opened the scoring for Regis Le Bris’ side, who looked to be heading for a famous victory at Anfield on 3 December.
However, with ten minutes remaining of the contest, Nordi Mukiele deflected Florian Wirtz’s strike into his own net to level the scores.
Liverpool piled the pressure on in the closing stages, but Sunderland were able to hang onto a point, a result which moves them up to sixth in the Premier League.
Robin Roefs was almost Sunderland’s hero
As the clock ticked past 93 minutes on Merseyside, it looked as if Sunderland just had to slow the game down and take a point back to the Stadium of Light.
Robin Roefs had other ideas, though, claiming an Ibrahima Konate header before launching the ball into the Liverpool half and sending Wilson Isidor through on goal.
Isidor rounded Alisson and looked certain to score the winner, but Federico Chiesa was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Gary Lineker explained that he initially thought Roefs had made the wrong decision by starting a Sunderland counter-attack so late in the game.
Lineker said: “I think what summed up the game in many ways from Sunderland’s perspective is that it looked like they were clinging on, and you were thinking that Liverpool were going to score (a winner).
“Then the keeper (Robin Roefs) hit that volleyed kick, and you’re thinking, ‘what are you doing, don’t just give the ball back to them, hold onto it for a bit’. Then you look up, and you go, ‘oh my god, what a ball’, and then Chiesa brilliantly cleared it off the line.”
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Robin Roefs showed why Sunderland are thriving in Premier League
As a newly promoted side this season, most people assumed that Sunderland would be fighting for Premier League survival.
However, the reality could not have been more different, with the Black Cats picking up an incredible 23 points from their first 14 games of the campaign.
If the Wearside outfit carry on at the same rate, then they will finish the season on 62 points, a tally which has secured European football in three of the last five years.
The fearlessness shown by Roefs in the dying seconds of their draw with Liverpool is one of the main reasons why Sunderland are performing so well in the Premier League.
Le Bris’ side are willing to take the game to the very best teams in the country, and it is a strategy that has been successful so far.
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