Late Own Goal Saves Liverpool as Slot’s Side Slip Back Into Mediocrity
Liverpool were forced to rely on a late own goal to salvage a draw, as Sunderland came close to increasing the pressure on under-fire head coach Arne Slot at Anfield.
Sunderland took a deserved lead in the 67th minute when Chemsdine Talbi’s strike from 25 yards deflected off Virgil van Dijk, wrong-footing Alisson and finding the net.
The visitors had been threatening all game. Alisson was fortunate earlier, tipping Trai Hume’s effort onto the bar in the first half, and Omar Alderete later struck the post shortly after the restart.
Slot again opted to leave Mohamed Salah out of the starting lineup despite Sunday’s win over West Ham, bringing him on at half-time in hopes of injecting energy into a flat Liverpool display.
Alexis Mac Allister clipped the woodwork in the first half, but Liverpool needed luck to avoid another damaging defeat. With nine minutes remaining, Florian Wirtz’s shot took a heavy deflection off Nordi Mukiele and bounced in for an own goal.
Sunderland nearly won it at the death, but substitute Wilson Isidor’s shot—after racing clean through—was dramatically cleared off the line by Federico Chiesa.
Liverpool analysis: Slot’s fading champions struggle again
Slot’s title holders were on course for another bruising night at Anfield until a late stroke of fortune earned them a point.
Despite returning to winning ways at West Ham, Liverpool looked set for yet another worrying home defeat as Sunderland continued their impressive run with a confident, disciplined performance.
Slot’s side lacked creativity throughout, and not even Salah’s introduction at the break could lift the team or the atmosphere inside a quiet Anfield.
Wirtz looked set to score his first Liverpool goal, but the decisive touch off Mukiele turned it into an own goal, leaving goalkeeper Robin Roefs helpless.
Alexander Isak was ineffective once again, leaving Liverpool with few real threats. In the end, it was substitute Chiesa’s last-minute clearance that prevented a stoppage-time heartbreak.
Any optimism from the win at West Ham—after a miserable spell of nine defeats in 12 games—was short-lived. Liverpool slumped back into a mediocre, uninspiring performance here.