Liverpool vs Sunderland – Salah left out; Wirtz saves the Reds’ blush with an own goal from Mukiele

Florian Wirtz’s shot, deflected via Nordi Mukiele, spared Liverpool’s blushes in a 1-1 draw against Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday after Chemsdine Talbi had given the visiting side the lead.

The Premier League champions, who beat West Ham United 2-0 in the previous match to end their worst run in more than 70 years, remained eighth in the table with 22 points, 11 behind leaders Arsenal after another worrying performance.

The late equalizer saved the team from what would have been a 10th defeat in 14 games in all competitions.

The visiting side, who sit sixth with 23 points, were the better side for much of the match and looked set to taste victory at Anfield for the first time since 1983 after Talbi scored in the 67th minute. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave the ball away, after which Talbi’s shot ended up through him and into the net via Alisson.

But Wirtz, one of the Reds’ key summer signings, celebrated what he claimed was his first goal for Liverpool – in the 81st minute – to draw the home side level. Wirtz rounded two defenders before unleashing a shot, but the deflection off Mukiele meant it was awarded as an own goal.

“We wanted to win, but the draw was so unfortunate,” Wirtz said Air sports. «We are on the right track to get back and we are doing everything we can to come back and win games. We wanted the win today, we want to be at the top of the table and we just have to keep working hard, and hopefully things will change.»

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Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor squandered a brilliant chance to win it in added time when he raced through goal and past Alisson, but his shot was cleared off the line by Federico Chiesa.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot left talisman Mohamed Salah out of his starting line-up for the second successive match due to the Egyptian’s poor form, but he started the second half and injected some much-needed pace and energy after Liverpool’s lethargic first half.

OPPORTUNITIES MISSED

Wirtz missed a great chance for his first Liverpool goal early in the match after goalkeeper Robin Roefs carelessly gave the ball away, but Wirtz’s shot towards the net rolled just wide of the post.

Dominik Szoboszlai fired a long shot just before half-time that Roefs hit over the bar, and seconds later Joe Gomez fired in a cross that Alexis Mac Allister headed just wide of the post.

Sunderland’s Trai Hume almost put the visiting team on the scoresheet early in the match with a long-range shot that Alisson palmed off the crossbar.

«I’m not disappointed, to be honest, because it’s a good point, especially in this place; it’s a privilege to play here,» Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris told Sky.

«We played our football, satisfied with the first half. Even at half-time we talked to each other to push a little more, just because we played well, but probably without the belief that it was possible to score, and we did that in the second half.»

Liverpool have failed to win any of their matches after conceding top spot in the Premier League since a win over Tottenham Hotspur on April 27.

“(It was) a match in which we didn’t concede much and didn’t create much,” Slot told Sky. «And today we were of course very unlucky with the goal we conceded. A deflection that could have gone in either direction, but unfortunately it goes in.»

“We did everything we could to get the winner, but in the end we were lucky because they went 1-on-1 with Alisson.”

Published on December 4, 2025