Liverpool's record signing Florian Wirtz experienced a moment of cruel fortune on Wednesday night, believing he had scored his maiden Premier League goal to rescue a point against Sunderland, only for the effort to be officially ruled an own goal.
A Costly Deflection Denies Wirtz
The £116million summer arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, who had yet to register a goal or assist in the league for his new club, thought he had broken his duck in the 81st minute at Anfield. With Liverpool trailing to Chemsdine Talbi's second-half strike, Wirtz produced a moment of individual brilliance, wriggling through the Sunderland defence before firing a shot that took a decisive deflection off defender Nordi Mukiele and found the net.
The initial celebrations were cut short, however, after a review by the Premier League's goal accreditation panel. The panel adjudged the final touch to have come off Mukiele, crediting the French defender with the own goal and cruelly denying Wirtz his landmark moment. The official Premier League Match Centre confirmed the decision on social media platform X, just four minutes after Liverpool's own account had posted to celebrate Wirtz's 'goal'.
'Unlucky' Wirtz Reacts to Decision
Informed of the panel's verdict during a post-match interview with Sky Sports, the German midfielder admitted he felt 'unlucky'. Composing himself, Wirtz downplayed the personal disappointment, focusing on the team's result. 'It doesn't matter for me. We draw. We wanted to win. That's what counts today. Unlucky,' he stated.
Teammate Curtis Jones, who would have claimed the assist, expressed sympathy for Wirtz, who has faced intense scrutiny following his mega-money transfer. 'Flo is a guy who wants the ball a lot. He ran so much. It's just a shame it goes down as an own goal,' Jones said.
Liverpool's Struggles Continue in Title Race
The 1-1 draw proved another setback for the reigning champions, who have struggled for consistency this season. The result leaves them in eighth position in the Premier League table, now a significant 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal. The Gunners extended their strong start with a 2-0 victory over Brentford, while Chelsea suffered a surprise 3-1 defeat at Leeds.
Despite the difficult start collectively, Wirtz insisted he remains happy at Anfield. 'First of all, I was very welcomed by the team. It's a very good team and I'm very happy to be here,' he said, acknowledging the recent challenges but expressing belief in a turnaround. 'We are on a good way to come back... We want to be on top of the table, we just have to continue and work hard.'
