Online Reporter
While Liverpool managed to salvage a point against Sunderland despite their lethargic performance in a 1-1 Premier League draw on Wednesday, the match felt like a setback after the champions’ encouraging 2-0 victory over West Ham United last weekend.
Florian Wirtz’s deflected shot in the 81st minute spared Liverpool’s blushes of what would have been a dreadful 10th defeat in their last 14 games across all competitions in a season of one step forward, several steps back for Arne Slot’s side.
“Far too many times this season we don’t concede a lot of chances but the ones that we do go in,” a stony-faced Slot told the BBC.
“We weren’t lucky enough to get the win over the line, but in recent weeks we would have lost this game so that is a positive.”
Slot pointed to a recurring issue that continues to haunt the champions: a lack of cutting edge.
“We are already 14 games in now and we haven’t been able to score enough from open play or from set pieces,” he said.
The Dutchman’s frustration underlined a worrying trend for Liverpool, who dominated possession and whose completed passes were more than double that of Sunderland, but rarely threatened the visitors’ goal until Wirtz’s deflected strike.
“Bit similar as in the weekend (against West Ham), a game where we didn’t concede a lot and we didn’t create a lot,” Slot told Sky Sports.
“And today of course very unlucky with the goal we conceded. A deflection that can go anywhere but unfortunately it goes in.
“We tried everything to make the winner but in the end we were lucky as well because they went one-on-one with (goalkeeper) Alisson.”
Sunderland’s travelling fans roared at what they thought would be the winner when Wilson Isidor raced through on goal and around Alisson in added time, but his shot was cleared off the line by Federico Chiesa.
“That’s what you want a player to do, give everything in a situation,” Slot said of Chiesa’s clearance.
“Just keep running and cleared the ball off the line. Another game where we scored less than we could’ve scored and the opponent were good with their chances.”
CHANCES MISSED
Wirtz missed a terrific chance for his first Liverpool goal early in the game after goalkeeper Robin Roefs carelessly gave the ball away, but Wirtz’s stab toward the net rolled just wide of the post.
Dominik Szoboszlai unleashed a long shot just before halftime that Roefs punched over the crossbar, and then seconds later Joe Gomez whipped in a cross that Alexis Mac Allister headed just wide of the post.
Sunderland’s Trai Hume nearly put the visitors on the scoresheet early in the game with a shot from distance that Alisson palmed off the crossbar.
“I’m not disappointed, to be fair, because it’s a good point, especially in this place, it’s a privilege to play here,” Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris told Sky.
“We played our football, happy with the first half.
‘‘Even during halftime, we spoke together to push a bit more just because we played well, but without probably the belief that it was possible to score, and we did it in the second half.”
Liverpool have failed to win any of their matches after conceding first in the Premier League since a victory over Tottenham Hotspur on April 27. – Reuters
