Liverpool were held to a draw by Sunderland in a frustrating Premier League match, despite periods of possession dominance. The Reds struggled with slow play and fitness issues, while the visitors earned a well-deserved point through aggressive pressing and solid defending.
In the match at Anfield, Liverpool offered little in attack despite controlling possession at times, appearing content to pass the ball among defenders. They looked sharper when moving forward quickly but faltered against Sunderland's high press, highlighting concerns over the team's pace and fitness against an energetic opponent.
Sunderland excelled with their workrate, sitting back to absorb pressure before aggressively pressing high. They capitalized on Liverpool's sluggish ball movement, smothering the home side and defending well overall. A key moment came when Virgil van Dijk gave away possession, leading to a shot that deflected off his backside into the net, wrong-footing Alisson Becker. The visitors' time-wasting tactics, including feigned injuries, drew criticism as a growing issue in the league.
Liverpool's performance improved after falling behind, but the slow style persisted. Alisson had no chance with the goal but struggled with distribution. Ibrahima Konate had a poor game, nearly gifting a chance, while van Dijk's form continued to decline. Andy Robertson was off-pace, but Alexis Mac Allister showed improvement, fighting for the ball and nearly scoring. Dominik Szoboszlai increased his shooting, and Florian Wirtz was the standout attacker in the first half, unlucky not to score twice.
Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak had minimal impact and were substituted, with Mohamed Salah bringing energy at halftime. Curtis Jones, Hugo Ekitike, Federico Chiesa, and Milos Kerkez came on later, with Chiesa making a crucial clearance. The draw underscores worries about Arne Slot's tactics, contrasting with the high-pressing style under Jurgen Klopp.