Is Anfield Losing Its Voice? Sunderland Draw Highlights Worrying Trend in Atmosphere

Anfield is famous for its noise — a stadium mythologised across Europe for its electricity, intimidation, and emotional weight. But as Liverpool’s form continues to falter under Arne Slot, a new question is beginning to creep in: has Anfield gone flat?

Data collected by UK Venue Sounds, charting live decibel levels from the stands, paints an uncomfortable picture. During last week’s 1–1 draw with Sunderland, the noise inside the stadium peaked at 95 decibels in the opening minute, only to fall away sharply to the mid-60s by the fourth minute. From there, for long spells, the sound barely moved.

Aside from predictable spikes — a 75 dB surge at half-time anticipation, another around the 67th-minute, which was the away fans celebrating taking the lead, and a late rise in the 81st minute for the Liverpool equaliser — Anfield was, for large periods, as subdued as the team itself.

For a club whose reputation has been built on the power of its crowd, these findings should concern both supporters and the players who rely on that energy.

A Quiet Crowd, A Quiet Team?

Against Sunderland, Liverpool were labouring. Passes drifted sideways, tempo never accelerated, and chance creation was stilted and predictable. Slot’s champions struggled with urgency from the opening whistle, and while the responsibility falls first on the players, there is little doubt that crowd energy and team performance feed each other.

The decibel graph shows the atmosphere flatlining for nearly 40 minutes at a time. Anfield is still capable of erupting, but the jumps now come from moments, not momentum — and too often, they are moments of frustration rather than inspiration.

It begs the question:
Is the flat atmosphere affecting the team… or is the team affecting the atmosphere?

The answer, most likely, is both. A nervous crowd creates a nervous team. A slow team creates a restless crowd. But somewhere in that loop, something is being lost — something that once made Anfield feel like an opponent in its own right.

And perhaps the harshest truth is this:
Liverpool need their fans more than ever… and right now, the fans aren’t lifting them like before.

Can We, as Fans, Do Better?

It is not about blame — supporters have every right to feel anxious after the recent run of results — but introspection is healthy, and the Sunderland numbers show an atmosphere drifting towards passive rather than participatory.

The Kop has always been a place of defiance, noise, and communal energy. Lately, it has felt more like a crowd waiting to see what happens next.

So how do we bring the old Anfield back?

Ideas to Improve the Atmosphere

1. Drum on the Kop

A divisive idea elsewhere, but increasingly common in European stadiums.
A drum — used sparingly — could keep tempo in the stands, maintain chants longer than the usual 15-second bursts, and keep the crowd active during dull spells.

2. Pre-Match Pyrotechnics

Controlled pyros, flames, or a choreographed light show would signal a big event feel before kick-off. Anfield used to feel alive from the warm-up; this could restore some of that theatre.

3. Goal Music

Controversial, yes. Traditionalists will recoil — but a short, iconic sound clip after goals could create a shared emotional cue and help build a stronger atmosphere. It doesn’t need to be cheesy. Something subtle, powerful, and unmistakably Liverpool could work.

4. Improved Song Choices

Some chants have grown stale; some great ones have faded away. A few ideas:

• Bring back “Fields of Anfield Road” earlier in matches, not only on big European nights.
• A new Wirtz chant — the crowd needs one that sticks.
• Something bold for Isak, now he’s scoring again: a long, rolling chant rather than a short call-and-response. It keeps the crowd moving and the players lifted.
• More repetition: songs should last minutes, not moments.

5. Stand-wide coordinated flags or card mosaics

Visual energy creates emotional energy. Reconnecting the whole stadium with the matchday experience could reignite the mood before the first whistle.

Anfield Isn’t Lost — But It Needs Recharging

The beauty of Liverpool is that its supporters have changed matches before. They have carried teams through adversity, lifted players from crises, and created nights unlike anything else in football.

But recently, as the decibel numbers show, the magic has dimmed. Not disappeared — just dimmed.

Maybe the team needs lifting.
Maybe the fans need something to believe in.
Maybe it’s both.

But what is certain is this:

If Anfield finds its voice again, Liverpool will find themselves again.

And judging by the way this season is going, that moment can’t come soon enough.