Well, it could have been worse for Liverpool and Arne Slot. Sunderland rocked up to Anfield smelling blood in the water, but the newly promoted side will head back to Wearside with a single point rather than all three, and that was probably a fair result.
Sunderland started brightly but after the first 20 minutes or so, Liverpool started to grow into the game and assert their dominance. Still, it was the visitors that took the lead just after the hour mark through a beautifully taken Chemsdine Talbi strike.
Liverpool didn’t let their heads drop though, like they did against Nottingham Forest and PSV, and eventually they got their goal when Florian Wirtz’s shot took a heavy deflection off Nordi Mukiele. The German thought he got his first Premier League goal, but it wasn’t to be, and it was ruled an own goal.
So, after dropping more points at home to high flying Sunderland, here are three things we learned.
Positive signs from Florian Wirtz
The bar is admittedly pretty low for the £116 million man, but this was probably his best Premier League outing since joining Liverpool in the summer. Wirtz had an early chance to give his side the lead, but Sunderland ‘keeper Robin Roefs closed him down just quick enough.
He didn’t let that put him off though. Wirtz persisted, and ended the game having created three chances, had four shots, and eight touches in the Sunderland box. Everything Liverpool did in an attacking sense went through him.
Wirtz impressed in the 2-0 win over West Ham last time out too. Coincidently, star man Mohamed Salah was benched for both of these games, but we’re sure there’s nothing in that… right!?
Robin Roefs is worth his weight in gold
Huge props should go to Sunderland’s recruitment team for finding Roefs and taking a risk on him. Last season, the Dutchman had just broken into the NEC Nijmegen first team, now, Roefs has his side pushing towards European football.
The 22-year-old’s numbers in this game speak for themselves. Roefs made five high claims, four saves, 13 recoveries, and won 100% of his aerial duels, preventing 0.75 goals across the 90 minutes.
As we mentioned he denied Wirtz a goal early on, leaving the German playmaker with no time to make a decision before closing him down, but that wasn’t his only moment. Dominic Szoboszlai tested him from distance just before half time, but Roefs was equal to it, and tipped it over the crossbar.
Liverpool are still better off without Mohamed Salah
It’s sad to say, Salah has arguably been the best player in the Premier League for the past few seasons, but he’s no longer making up for his lack of defensive output with goals and assists, and Liverpool are suffering for it.
Slot left him out of the starting eleven but folded at half time and brought him on for Cody Gakpo Salah was good going forward, creating four chances, the most of any other player, but Sunderland were more than happy to soak up the pressure and attack on the counter against a more exposed Liverpool defence.
Salah still undoubtedly has a big role to play for Liverpool this season, and he shouldn’t be written off entirely, but for now, perhaps a few more appearances off the bench would be best for the team.