A moment of individual brilliance from Florian Wirtz salvaged a point for Liverpool at Anfield, but the German was cruelly denied his first Premier League goal in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland.
Wirtz Steps Up Amid Salah Absence
With nine minutes of normal time remaining and Liverpool trailing, the £116million summer signing took matters into his own hands. Wirtz danced past two Sunderland defenders before unleashing a shot that took a decisive deflection off Nordi Mukiele and flew into the net. The goal was officially recorded as an own goal, sparing head coach Arne Slot further intense scrutiny after his decision to leave Mohamed Salah out of the starting line-up for successive league matches for the first time in the Egyptian's Liverpool career.
Sunderland's Anfield Frustration
The visitors had looked on course for a first victory at Anfield in 42 years after taking a shock lead in the 67th minute. Chemsdine Talbi's long-range effort, which took a deflection off Virgil van Dijk, left Alisson Becker helpless. The strike was celebrated wildly in the away end by former Black Cats striker Kevin Phillips, who was amongst the travelling supporters.
Liverpool's performance was largely laboured, with British record signing Alexander Isak struggling to make an impact in Salah's absence. His first-half miscue, which ballooned into the Anfield Road end, was met with howls of derision from the Sunderland fans. Salah himself made little impact after being introduced at the start of the second half.
Key Moments and Missed Chances
Sunderland had the better of the first-half opportunities, with Trai Hume seeing a shot slip through Alisson's fingers and onto the crossbar. Liverpool only tested Black Cats goalkeeper Robin Roefs shortly before the break through efforts from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, who headed against a post.
The home side's defensive frailties were exposed for the Sunderland goal, with Ibrahima Konate missing a header and Van Dijk's pass being intercepted, leading to Talbi's spectacular strike. Liverpool almost threw away their hard-earned point in added time, requiring a last-ditch clearance from Federico Chiesa to deny Wilson Isidor on a counter-attack.
Consequences for Liverpool's Title Defence
The draw represents another setback in Liverpool's faltering Premier League title defence. While Wirtz emerged as one of the few positives from a £450m summer outlay to show up on the night, the team's overall lack of sharpness was evident. Salah's impending departure for the African Cup of Nations in ten days' time may now offer Slot a clearer selection path, removing the dilemma surrounding his most high-profile player.
For Sunderland, it was a case of so near yet so far, but a well-earned point at Anfield will be seen as a significant result. For Liverpool and Arne Slot, the search for consistency and a solution in the final third, with or without Salah, continues.
