Lazar guides Reds to victory

LAZAR Markovic scored the only goal as improving Liverpool provisionally closed to within four points of the Premier League’s top four by winning 1-0 at Sunderland yesterday.

The 20-year-old Serbia winger’s ninth-minute strike at the Stadium of Light — his first Premier League goal — enabled Liverpool to extend their unbeaten run to five league games.

Gus Poyet’s Sunderland, who had Liam Bridcutt sent off for two bookable offences, remain three points above the relegation zone with only one win from their past 11 games.

Having earlier seen a penalty appeal waved away after tumbling under a challenge from Wes Brown, Markovic put Liverpool ahead when he gathered a pass from Fabio Borini and prodded the ball between Costel Pantilimon’s legs.

Markovic then hit the bar with a spectacular, improvised scissor-kick as Liverpool dominated. Former Sunderland loanee Borini rounded Pantilimon, only to find the side netting.

Liverpool lost Steven Gerrard

Markovic put Liverpool ahead when he prodded the ball between Pantilimon’s legs

at half time, with Dejan Lovren coming on, but their position was strengthened in the 49th minute when Bridcutt was shown a second yellow card for impeding Emre Can.

Moments later Adam Johnson had the Liverpool crossbar shuddering with a swerving drive from distance, but Brendan Rodgers’s side finished strongly, Pantilimon saving from Mario Balotelli and Philippe Coutinho.

Meanwhile, Barcelona star Luis Suarez yesterday warned Liverpool that Major League Soccer-bound Gerrard was “irreplaceable”, but backed the club captain to return to Anfield in the future.

Suarez valued his close relationship with the 34-year-old Gerrard during his spell at Merseyside — crediting the skipper with persuading him to stay after he received a 10match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, reports mirror.co.uk.

“There are a small number of players in the world that are irreplaceable and Steven is one of them,” he said.

“Liverpool are a great team though, big players will want to play for them. They have great midfield players already there who can make a step up — and I am sure the boss is already thinking about replacements.”

Suarez, who won England’s Footballer of the Year award for his 31 goals last season for Liverpool, believes he will return to Anfield in the future. — AFP, IANS