Liverpool held at Anfield as Wirtz saves a point

Florian Wirtz rescued Liverpool, but he was denied a first Premier League goal when his late strike was ruled a Nordi Mukiele own goal. His dribbling run nine minutes from the end earned a 1–1 draw against Sunderland and saved Arne Slot from another wave of questions over his decision to bench Mohamed Salah again.

Sunderland shock the Kop

Sunderland looked set for a famous result at Anfield.

Chemsdine Talbi blasted in from long range midway through the second half, a strike celebrated wildly by former Black Cats forward Kevin Phillips in the away end. Liverpool struggled to react, and Slot’s team looked flat in attack before Wirtz came to life.

Wirtz showing promise

Wirtz, impressive in the recent win at West Ham, skipped past defenders and fired a shot that deflected in. The 22-year-old, part of a massive £450m summer rebuild and potentially worth £116m alone, was one of the few signings who looked confident on the night.

Alexander Isak, who scored at the weekend, endured a frustrating game. One badly sliced first-half shot into the stands drew loud laughter from the Sunderland fans. He still hasn’t found the sharpness Liverpool hoped would replace Salah’s goals.

Salah struggle and big questions

Salah came on at half-time but made little impact. With the Africa Cup of Nations starting in 10 days, Slot might soon avoid the problem of what to do with his star forward, who at 33 may finally be slowing down.

Sunderland had the better chances early. Trai Hume hit the bar after Alisson failed to hold his shot, while Liverpool only woke up before the break when Dominik Szoboszlai tested Robin Roefs and Alexis Mac Allister headed against the post.

Late chaos and a narrow escape

Sunderland struck first after the restart when Talbi’s strike deflected off Virgil van Dijk and beat Alisson. Wirtz dragged Liverpool level, but the home side almost lost it in stoppage time before Federico Chiesa cleared off the line to stop a Sunderland counter.

Liverpool leave with a point, but big questions remain over Salah, the summer spending, and Slot’s plan for the season.