Liverpool's faltering Premier League campaign suffered another blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Sunderland side at Anfield on Wednesday night. A late intervention from record signing Florian Wirtz was required to prevent a second consecutive defeat for Arne Slot's team.
Black Cats Deny Historic Victory
The visitors, chasing a first win at Anfield in over four decades, came agonisingly close to a famous victory. Sunderland took a deserved lead in the second half through Chemsdine Talbi, whose long-range effort took a decisive deflection off Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. The Championship side had already threatened extensively, hitting the crossbar through Trai Hume and the post via Omar Alderete before the breakthrough.
Salah's Bench Role and Late Drama
For the second match running, Liverpool's star forward Mohamed Salah began the game on the substitutes' bench. Introduced at half-time, the Egyptian struggled to impose himself on a disciplined Sunderland defence. The drama peaked in stoppage time when the Black Cats almost snatched all three points, only for Federico Chiesa to clear a Wilson Isidor shot off the line following a rapid counter-attack.
Wirtz to the Rescue
The equaliser, which arrived in the closing stages, came in fortuitous circumstances. Florian Wirtz, Liverpool's £116 million summer acquisition, saw his goal-bound strike deflect off Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele and into the net. The own goal spared Liverpool's blushes but did little to mask another underwhelming performance, leaving more questions than answers for manager Arne Slot.
The result, on Wednesday 3 December 2025, means Liverpool have dropped further points in their quest for the title, while Sunderland will return north with a well-earned and memorable point from their trip to Merseyside.
