Liverpool Saved by Late Deflection as Sunderland Outplay Slot’s Side at Anfield

Liverpool needed a late slice of fortune to avoid another damaging Premier League defeat as a spirited Sunderland side left Anfield with a fully deserved point—and may feel they should have taken all three. On a cold night on Merseyside, Arne Slot’s champions once again looked a shadow of the team that lifted the title last May, labouring through a flat and predictable performance that did little to ease the pressure building around the Dutchman.

Sunderland, superbly drilled by Régis Le Bris, were bold from the outset. They defended intelligently, countered with purpose, and created the clearest chances of the match despite finishing with only 32% possession. Liverpool dominated the ball—recording 638 passes and 68% possession—but struggled to convert control into threat, managing only four shots on target from 23 attempts.

The warning signs were there early. Trai Hume clipped the bar midway through the first half, while Omar Alderete’s towering header struck the post shortly after the restart. Liverpool’s response was minimal: Alexis Mac Allister hit the woodwork, but the hosts rarely strung together meaningful attacking patterns in open play.

When Sunderland finally broke through on 67 minutes, few inside the stadium could say it wasn’t coming. Chemsdine Talbi’s speculative 25-yard effort took a heavy deflection off Virgil van Dijk, wrong-footing Alisson and giving the visitors a deserved lead. The goal reflected a trend throughout the evening: Sunderland were faster, sharper, and more decisive in the key moments.

Slot, who once again opted to start Mohamed Salah on the bench, introduced the Egyptian at half-time in search of urgency. Yet even with Liverpool’s all-time Premier League scorer on the pitch, the hosts never found rhythm. Alexander Isak, refreshed after his goal at West Ham, was anonymous here—finishing with one blocked effort and rarely involved in Liverpool’s rare threatening sequences.

The equaliser, when it came, was born more of relief than quality. Florian Wirtz, who worked tirelessly to find space despite a congested Sunderland block, struck a hopeful effort from the edge of the box that deflected off Nordi Mukiele and wrong-footed goalkeeper Robin Roefs. It spared Liverpool a fourth home defeat of the season but did little to disguise the wider problems on display.

Even then, Sunderland came closest to a winner. Substitute Wilson Isidor raced clear in stoppage time, only for Federico Chiesa—Liverpool’s brightest substitute—to sprint the length of the pitch and produce a remarkable goal-line clearance to deny a famous away victory.

A Point That Feels Like a Warning

Liverpool finished with the stronger statistical picture—more shots, more possession, more box entries (33 touches in Sunderland’s area)—but the performance lacked conviction. Sunderland, meanwhile, carved out six shots on target to Liverpool’s four and covered more distance (113.08 km to Liverpool’s 108.5), highlighting their superior intensity and organisation.

For Slot, this draw feels less like progress and more like a reminder of the fragility surrounding his side. The improved display at West Ham now looks like an isolated moment rather than the start of meaningful momentum. The champions have now dropped points in nine of their last 13 league matches, and the title defence that once looked salvageable is slipping further out of reach.

Sunderland, by contrast, continue to impress. Le Bris has moulded them into a fearless, cohesive unit, and based on this performance, their sixth-place standing feels fully justified.

Liverpool remain only a few points off the Champions League places, but performances like this will not sustain a meaningful push up the table. With a trip to Leeds and a crucial Champions League tie at Inter Milan looming, Slot’s side must rediscover belief and structure fast — before this season drifts into unfamiliar and unwelcome territory.