With both teams splashing out in the summer transfer window, there were many debutants on display. Jordan Henderson made his first start against his former club in midfield alongside fellow new signings Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, while ex Newcastle man Jose Enrique completed his Liverpool debut only days after signing from Sunderland's fierce rivals. Meanwhile, Seb Larsson and Wes Brown made their first appearances for the visitors following moves from Birmingham City and Manchester United respectively.
Despite the anticipated difficulty of integrating numerous new signings into a cohesive and effective unit, the hosts connected well throughout the first 45 minutes, impressing the home crowd with swift and fluent passing while persistently attacking and threatening the Wearsiders' net. They also retained defensive stability, as Reina remained virtually untested during a quiet opening from the opposition.
Only five minutes in the Reds had the perfect opportunity to begin the season in an ideal manner. Luis Suarez blocked Richardson's hurried clearance on the halfway line and appeared destined to capitalise on the error as he went one-on-one with Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet, however he was abruptly halted when Richardson sent the Uruguayan sprawling with a mistimed challenge from behind.
Referee Phil Dowd rightly pointed to the spot but he failed to send Richardson off when the Sunderland number 11 clearly deserved a straight red for illegally denying a goalscoring opportunity. The visitors' good fortune extended further as Copa America winner Suarez was perhaps too confident in attempting to fire into the roof of the net, instead blasting well over the cross bar from 12 yards.
The ever-loyal Kop responded by chanting their hero's name and Suarez made up for his error and repaid their support on 12 minutes, instinctively glancing Charlie Adam's excellent set piece beyond Mignolet and into the net. It was a glimpse of the potential possessed by the former Blackpool playmaker and yet another example of Suarez's lethal efficiency in front of goal.
Liverpool continued to exert their dominance on the proceedings and would have doubled their lead soon after through Suarez's strike partner Andy Carroll had Dowd not made another costly error. Downing's deadly accurate cross picked out the tall England international, who controlled the ball expertly and slotted home from close range. Unfortunately a mere touch on Anton Ferdinand led the referee to unfairly disallow Carroll's perfectly legitimate goal, as the Sunderland centre back's playacting kept his side in the match.
The away side still struggled to call Reina into action though, as Gyan's hooked effort from the edge of the area mid-way through the first period remained their only real sight of goal. Conversely, the hosts were exuding confidence on the ball and entertaining the Anfield faithful in the process.
An example of this composure arrived 10 minutes before the break, when 18-year old right back John Flanagan displayed footballing intelligence beyond his relatively few years to evade a challenge under pressure and release Stewart Downing with a simple yet effective pass.
The dynamic Downing stormed down the right hand side with notable purpose and stylish verve, thundering a rasping drive against the cross bar from fully 25-yards after running almost half the length of the pitch. The former Villa winger's run was simply outstanding and, had the ball burst the net, it would have been an early goal-of-the-season contender which would have taken some beating.
Disappointingly, despite a thoroughly promising first period, the age old proverb that football is a 'game of two halves' rung emphatically true yesterday, as the away side stepped up a level to earn a fully deserved point while the Reds failed to live up to the admittedly high standard set by their first half display.
Early appeals for another spot kick fell on deaf ears after the Kop claimed that Suarez's low cross struck the hand of ex Manc Wes Brown, before Richardson's shot dipped just over the bar and Gyan squandered a good chance when he headed tamely at Reina from Larsson's teasing centre. The away side's pressure finally told moments before the hour mark when the unmarked Larsson acrobatically netted a tremendous leveller from Elmohamdy's cross.
Sessegnon clipped over Reina's bar as Sunderland grew in confidence in the closing stages, while Liverpool were restricted to only a few efforts from tall target man Andy Carroll. First, Carroll headed Adam's corner goalwards but Mignolet was more than a match for the effort. Then, with time ticking down, Jose Enrique, who was Carroll's Newcastle teammate when they were promoted from the Championship in 2009/2010, whipped a wonderful cross into the area, where the 22-year old glanced a header just wide of the post.
It was a disappointing end to a game that the Reds were expected to comfortably claim all three points from. Although many positives can be taken from the first half display, in particular Downing's performance and the attacking potency of Suarez and Carroll, the second half was frustratingly mediocre.
Following a dominant first 45 Liverpool failed to put the outcome of the tie beyond doubt and, although some indefensible refereeing decisions didn't help, we simply must put teams like Sunderland to the sword at Anfield if we are to realise our Champions League aspirations.
YNWA
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