Title hope off the radar, how liverpool surrendered to title challege,
Liverpool trudged off to another chorus of groans at Anfield after being held 1-1 by a sharp Sunderland side, saved only by a late, scruffy own goal that papered over another bit of a shambles. Arne Slot talked up progress after the 2-0 win at West Ham, but this felt same old Liverpool sloppy at the back, blunt up top, and miles off the swagger they imagine they still got.
Sunderland, who looked fearless from kick off, nicked the lead on 67 minutes when Virgil van Dijk coughed up possession with a lazy pass and Chemsdine Talbi leathered a low drive from distance that flew past a helpless Caoimhin Kelleher. Liverpool’s defenders stood around blaming ghosts.
The hosts huffed and puffed, with Anfield going from bored to outright toxic, before a chaotic moment seven minutes from time bailed them out. Florian Wirtz thought he’d finally bagged his first Liverpool goal since that £100m circus of a transfer, but his hit took a daft deflection and ended up being chalked off as a Nordi Mukiele own goal. Wirtz celebrated anyway, because who wouldn’t.
Slot chucked bodies forward like confetti but there was a weird panic in Liverpool’s play, as if they was shocked Sunderland hadn’t rolled over. And it so nearly got worse deep into stoppage time Wilson Isidor burst clear, rounded Kelleher, and dinked goalwards, only for Federico Chiesa to sprint back and hook it off the line with the whole of the Kop holding its breath.
A point keeps Liverpool eighth, which is the kind of sentence that used to get managers sacked on the spot around here. Sunderland walked away annoyed not to win, and that probably stings the most, Anfield used to intimidate teams, now it gives them ideas.