Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland: Reds escape with a point after failing to deceive again | OneFootball

Defending champions remain in eighth

Liverpool failed to win once again in the Premier League as they were held by a brilliant Sunderland 1-1 at Anfield.

Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats set out their stall early in the opening exchanges, in a structured 4-4-2 shape out of possession, but they were not afraid to break forwards at pace on the counter, knowing full well that their hosts were vulnerable and lacking confidence, despite their 2-0 win over West Ham last weekend.

Trai Hume, playing as a right-sided midfielder, crashed the crossbar with a speculative effort from range as Sunderland quietened the nervy home support into silence.

Brian Brobbey, rewarded for his fine performances off the bench with a start here, tussled and toiled against Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, bullying the two Liverpool centre-backs, while Enzo Le Fee buzzed in the pockets and caused mayhem for the home midfield, which was being pulled apart.

Mohamed Salah was benched once more by Slot, but the Egyptian was introduced at the interval and made an instant impact down the Reds’ right, giving the hosts more thrust immediately.

They fell behind to Talbi’s arrowed effort on 67 minutes, however, and it seemed as though all their good work in east London would be undone.

However, buoyed by the support from the Kop, the champions found an equaliser, stemming from Curtis Jones’ initiative to leap in for an interception and feed Wirtz.

The home side were given an almighty scare in injury time as Wilson Isidor raced clean through, sent away by Robin Roefs from a Liverpool corner, but the substitute striker was denied by Federico Chiesa on the line after he had rounded Alisson.

The result leaves Liverpool in eighth in the Premier League table, while Sunderland remain sixth, although they can feel incredibly hard done by to only come away with a point.