Florian Wirtz was denied his first Liverpool goal after the Premier League goals panel ruled his strike against Sunderland as an own goal by Nordi Mukiele. The German midfielder thought he had broken his duck with a deflected shot in the 81st minute, but replays showed the ball was heading wide before hitting the Sunderland defender.
The Premier League Match Centre confirmed the decision on X, stating: 'The goal accreditation panel has adjudged Liverpool’s 81st minute goal as a Mukiele own goal.' Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million in the summer, is still waiting for his first goal for the club.
Despite the disappointment, Wirtz remained focused on the result. 'Doesn't matter today, we draw and wanted to win today. We were unlucky,' he said. The 1-1 draw leaves Liverpool in 8th place in the Premier League, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Wirtz has been impressive in recent performances, including a standout display in Liverpool's 2-0 win over West Ham. Manager Arne Slot praised his contribution, saying: 'He was very important for us to find that extra midfielder every time. He was good when he made a dribble, he was good with his one-touch passes.'
