Good Wednesday for Liverpool’s Premier League clubs

It may have been a scheduling quirk. It may be been intentional. For whatever reason, both of the Premier League’s Merseyside clubs faced Tyneside counterparts on Wednesday, a day that turned to disappointment for the league’s northeast duo. Liverpool dominated visiting Sunderland, rolling the predictably disappointing Black Cats, 3-0, while Everton came back to post a 2-1 victory at Newcastle.

For Sunderland, at no point during Wednesday’s match at Anfield did it appear Martin O’Neill’s men would be able to keep up with Liverpool. A back line lacking speed and athleticism was exploited for two goals by Luis Suárez, his first coming seven minutes after Raheem Sterling’s 19th minute scoop over Simon Mignolet starting Liverpool’s rout.

Suárez’s first goal summed up Sunderland’s day. Running onto a long ball, Suárez touched the ball around Carlos Cuellar while the Black Cats defender overran his man, eventually stumbling to the ground. The Liverpool striker went in alone on Mignolet, blasting his shot off the keeper’s leg and into the Sunderland net.

For Sunderland, it was one of the more duor displays of a season that’s become defined by uninspiring performances. The team only managed 34 percent of the (Opta) possession, were outshot 10-2 (shots on goal), and couldn’t generate a scoring chance for Steven Fletcher, Stephane Sessegnon, or Frazier Campbell. Their only shots on Pepe Reina came from defender Matthew Kilgallon.

On Tyneside, Newcastle got off to a flying start with a second minute goal from Papiss Demba Cisse, creating a situation that should have felt familiar to the Toffess.

On Sunday, it was Everton that jumped out early on their visitors, taking a lead on Chelsea at Goodison Park. Chelsea would claim a goal just before halftime en route to a 2-1 comeback win.

At St. James’ Park, Leighton Baines sparked Everton’s comeback with a 43rd minute rocket. His left-footed blast from 28 yards out swerved into the left side of Tim Kurl’s net, the Newcastle keeper left surprised when Baines’ shot made it cleanly through the Magpie wall.

On the hour Victor Anichebe, subbed on two minutes earlier, ran onto a cross from Nikica Jelavic, his redirection giving Everton their third win in four.

Had Everton put together two good halves on Sunday against Chelsea, they’d be riding a 10-match unbeaten streak out of Newcastle. Even with that disappointment, the Toffees have only lost two league matches since Sept. 1, though their newfound ability to get three points may prove more important than their run.

During the 18 matches since September’s loss at West Brom, Everton had only won seven times, the team just now recovering from a mid-fall funk of draws.

Were they still in that phase, Everton may have drawn a game like today’s. Instead, they got a second goal, two extra points, and gave their fans reason to believe they’ll be able to keep up with Spurs, Chelsea, and Arsenal in the fight for the Premier League’s last two Champions League spots.