It was another tough night at Anfield, with Liverpool having an own goal to thank for saving them a blush against Sunderland. The hosts struggled for much of the game, but it was enough to take a point against the newly promoted Black Cats. However, the Reds looked lacking in confidence until they scored, doing little to overcome the widening chasm.
Neither team scored in the first half, with Liverpool coming close to scoring through Alexis Mac Allister, but Sunderland defender Trey Hume was able to fire a long-range shot into the net. Florian Wirtz had a chance to put the Reds ahead, but his shot went wide under pressure from several defenders.
Sunderland hit the target for the second time after the interval, with Omar Alderete’s bullet header rattling off the near post. In the end, Kemzuddin Talbi took the lead with a deflected shot from outside the box. It looked like Sunderland were going to win, but Wirtz darted into the penalty area and fired a shot, giving the home side a draw. However, a strong deflection from Nordi Mukiele resulted in an own goal.
Express Sport rates and predicts Liverpool’s players following tonight’s stalemate…
Liverpool vs Sunderland player ratings
Alisson Becker – 6
The opening goal was canceled out due to a deflection. He thwarted Trey Hume’s long-range attacks with routine saves and caught several shots that went straight at him. The delivery wasn’t always great.
Joe Gomez – 6
He played his defensive role well and contributed in the final third, but he could have moved the ball a little faster. It was reserved for a late challenge in the second half.
Ibrahima Konate – 5
They struggled at times to cope with the physical presence of Brian Blobby and had several nervous moments at the back. I kept it simple.
Virgil van Dijk – 4
There was too much space for Talbi to set up himself and shoot towards goal. It only came back to life after the equalizer. Not his best game by any measure.
Andy Robertson – 6
He returned to the side with the only change from the weekend. He brought an abundance of energy, bombing up and down and contributing at both ends of the pitch.
Ryan Gravenbirch – 5
They used their defensive nous to break up attacking moves in the engine room, but were a bit slow to move the ball when in possession. He didn’t have as much influence as Liverpool needed him to have.
Alexis Mac Allister – 6
I wasn’t afraid to get into it, but I just couldn’t make the impact I wanted. He came close to scoring with a guided header and kissed the post on his way to the back.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6
He looked energetic from the get-go and was aggressive with the ball. There were a few shaky moments, but he never stopped running and tested Robin Rufus twice from range.
Florian Wirtz – 7
He brilliantly scored the equalizing goal, but due to a terrible deflection, no official goal was scored. I worked hard to make things happen and eventually got paid.
Kodi Gakpo – 4
He struggled to make the right decisions and cutting inside was often the wiser choice when staying wide. There was a lack of quality and variety in the final third. Obsessed with breaks.
Alexander Isaac – 3
He didn’t really contribute much, apart from the moment when he darted into space and went wide over the crossbar. I can’t find it anywhere.
substitute
Mohamed Salah – 6
He played the second half and brought even more explosive speed and energy. The hosts looked better with him on the pitch.
Curtis Jones – 7
He became immobile as Liverpool chased the game and made a huge impact after coming off the bench.
Hugo Ekitike – 6
He was lively when he was brought on in the second half. Despite playing limited minutes, he contributed much more than Isak.
Federico Chiesa – n/a
This is a belated addition. He produced a key block to stop Wilson Isidioglu’s dramatic late victory.
Milos Kerkes – Not applicable
This is a belated addition.
