Florian Wirtz’s skillful footwork rescued a point for Liverpool, though he was denied what would have been his first Premier League goal when his strike deflected off Nordi Mukiele.
The German midfielder weaved past multiple Sunderland defenders before his effort found the net via a deflection nine minutes from time, earning a 1-1 draw and easing the pressure on head coach Arne Slot, who left Mohamed Salah out of the starting lineup for consecutive league matches for the first time in his Liverpool career.
Sunderland looked set to record a historic first win at Anfield in 42 years when Chemsdine Talbi unleashed a long-range strike in the 67th minute.
The goal drew praise from former Black Cats striker Kevin Phillips, who celebrated alongside the traveling fans.
Wirtz, who impressed again following his standout performance in Sunday’s win at West Ham, showcased his growing confidence by slicing through the Sunderland defense to secure a crucial point for Liverpool in front of the Kop.
The 22-year-old, who could eventually cost Liverpool £116 million, was one of the few summer signings among a £450 million outlay who truly made an impact on the night.
By contrast, British record signing Alexander Isak struggled, with his first-half attempt ballooning into the Anfield Road end, eliciting derisive cheers from the away fans.
Isak was expected to fill Salah’s shoes, but the former Newcastle striker has yet to display the sharpness or consistency required.
Salah himself had little influence when introduced at the start of the second half. Ironically, the Egypt international’s upcoming departure for the African Cup of Nations in ten days might relieve Slot of dilemmas regarding his star player.
Sunderland had the better first-half opportunities, with Trai Hume’s effort skimming Alisson Becker’s hands and crashing against the crossbar.
Liverpool’s first real test of goalkeeper Robin Roefs came just before halftime from Dominik Szoboszlai’s curling shot, followed closely by Alexis Mac Allister’s header hitting the post.
Salah entered the second half with a point to prove, but behind him, Joe Gomez had to contend with reduced protection from Szoboszlai, leading to a booking for fouling Reinildo Mandava.
Omar Alderete later struck the outside of a post with a header, and Liverpool’s defensive miscues allowed Talbi’s shot to deflect off Virgil van Dijk and beat Alisson.
Wirtz’s intervention salvaged a point for Liverpool, who almost threw it away late as Federico Chiesa cleared a Wilson Isidor counter-attack off the line in added time.
