Liverpool were unable to build on the momentum gained from their victory at West Ham United on Sunday, as they struggled their way to a point against Sunderland at Anfield.
There was a good feeling about the Reds’ triumph over West Ham United at the weekend, which stopped a dismal run. But Arne Slot’s side were second best on home soil against the newly promoted side and rather fortunate to walk away with a 1–1 draw.
Slot once again opted to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench, but brought him on at half time following a drab first half. Sunderland were once again impressive, but in truth, they didn’t exactly have to be spectacular to make what’s typically a daunting away day look relatively serene.
The draw moves the Black Cats up to sixth, while Liverpool are eighth, ahead of Manchester United’s clash with West Ham on Thursday night.
Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Sunderland (4-2-3-1)
GK: Alisson—6.2: Had his captain to thank for the concession, but Alisson never looked completely settled on Wednesday night despite having a relatively quiet outing.
RB: Joe Gomez—6.3: An awkward fit for the role without a winger ahead of him who hugs the touchline. Gomez wasn’t aided by Slot’s possession structure, but he was cumbersome with the ball and booked in the second half for a wild challenge.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.6: Brian Brobbey proved a physical match for Konaté, who had his moments and didn’t exactly instil calm within Liverpool’s defence. Opponents are still letting him have the ball in build-up.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.6: Poor defending for Talbi’s goal. Van Dijk backed off and invited the deflection which led to his side falling behind. Often made first contact in the Sunderland box from set-pieces and crosses.
LB: Andy Robertson—7.0: Sunderland didn’t seem to attack down the right too much, but Robertson struggled to offer much of an outlet when Liverpool had the ball. He’s certainly no longer the vigorous overlapper that he was in his prime.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.8: A loose showing from Gravenberch overall. Heavy touches encouraged Sunderland’s press.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.4: Probably the slowest of the lot in possession, and was guilty of some sloppy moments in the first half. He’s struggling in Liverpool’s engine room.
AM: Florian Wirtz—7.3: The closest he has come to a first goal, but Wirtz did superbly well to work the opening. Once again, Anfield was treated to glimmers, but Liverpool struggled to access him between the lines for the most part before he drifted out to the left in the second half.
RW: Dominik Szoboszlai—6.9: Often the man Liverpool have turned to for inspiration this season, but the Hungarian was unable to deliver the goodshere, despite some tidy moments in either half.
ST: Alexander Isak—6.5: Barely involved and ineffective whenever possession arrived at his feet. Sunday’s goal didn’t have the desired effect.
LW: Cody Gakpo—5.8: Epitomised Liverpool’s early predictability. Almost always chopped infield and rarely combined with Robertson when he burst forward. Withdrawn at half time.
| Substitute | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah (46’ for Gakpo) | 6.6 |
| Curtis Jones (65’ for Gomez) | 6.6 |
| Hugo Ekitiké (74’ for Mac Allister) | 5.9 |
| Federico Chiesa (86’ for Isak) | N/A |
| Milos Kerkez (86’ for Robertson) | N/A |
Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Trey Nyoni, Wataru Endo, Rio Ngumoha.
Sunderland (4-4-2)
Starting XI: Robin Roefs; Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard, Omar Alderete, Reinildo; Trai Hume, Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka, Chemsdine Talbi; Enzo Le Fée, Brian Brobbey.
Subs used: Wilson Isidor, Lutsharel Geertruida, Luke O’Nien.
Player of the Match: Robin Roefs (Sunderland)
Liverpool Player of the Match: Ryan Gravenberch
Liverpool 1–1 Sunderland: How It Unfolded at Anfield
Arne Slot opted against reintroducing Salah back into his starting XI in the week, having given the Egyptian no minutes in the 2–0 victory at West Ham on Sunday. Many wondered whether Liverpool’s recent stopping of the rot would prove to be a false dawn, or the start of a Reds resurgence, with the Hammers so meek in defeat on home soil.
Sunderland have won at Stamford Bridge this season, and are currently tracking to rank among the most successful newly promoted sides in Premier League history. Régis Le Bris changed tack slightly at Anfield, adopting a 4-4-2, and the Black Cats certainly played with the belief that they could secure their first victory at Liverpool since 1983.
The Reds were dreary in the opening exchanges, and they failed to improve as the first half wore on. Florian Wirtz almost fortuitously opened his Premier League account when he broke in behind, while Dominik Szoboszlai stung the palms of Robin Roefs from distance.
Sunderland, though, had plenty of joy playing through what was often a Liverpool press that looked disconnected and passive. However, they struggled to create a clear-cut opening despite playing the first half on their terms. An ambitious Trai Hume effort forced an odd save onto the crossbar from Alisson, and they tested the hosts on numerous occasions from set-pieces just before the interval.
46’ - A change at the break 🔁🔴
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 3, 2025
[0-0] #LIVSUN
Liverpool’s lack of width and predictable possession dynamics had ensured they were easy to defend against, and it was no surprise that Salah was introduced for the second half. Something had to change.
The change altered their pressing structure and allowed them to defend more aggressively, while Salah was able to combine with Szoboszlai down the right, finally facilitating some moments of quality in possession.
However, it was Sunderland who came closest to breaking the deadlock through an Omar Alderete header which brushed the post, and they soon made Liverpool pay for the sort of lax showing that has defined their title defence so far.
Chemsdine Talbi, the match-winner at Chelsea in October, opened the scoring with an effort from distance that deflected off Virgil van Dijk, which left Alisson scrambling and then retrieving the ball out of his goal.
The Reds were thus tasked with playing from behind again, having failed to win when doing so in the Premier League all season. They huffed and puffed without much reward, but then Slot’s side produced a moment. Substitute Curtis Jones was at the heart of it, regaining possession high up the pitch, and some clever footwork from Wirtz created the opening. His effort bypassed Roefs, but Nordi Mukiele’s deflection was deemed significant enough to take the German’s first Liverpool goal away from him and for it to be credited as an own goal instead.
The Anfield faithful didn’t care, though. The equaliser set up a frantic finale with Liverpool pushing for the winner. They looked poised to craft the winning moment, but it was actually the dogged Black Cats who came closest to claiming three points with a remarkable counter-attack inspired by a pinpoint Roefs pass, which found Wilson Isidor racing in behind.
Isidor rounded Alisson and would surely tap home, but Federico Chiesa’s heroic effort and intervention prevented the striker’s finish from winning it for Sunderland.
Liverpool vs. Sunderland Half Time Stats
| Statistic | Liverpool | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 62% | 38% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.73 | 0.19 |
| Total Shots | 8 | 5 |
| Shots on Target | 3 | 3 |
| Big Chances | 1 | 0 |
| Pass Accuracy | 86% | 74% |
| Fouls Committed | 4 | 3 |
| Corners | 2 | 2 |
Liverpool vs. Sunderland Full Time Stats
| Statistic | Liverpool | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 68% | 32% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.37 | 0.54 |
| Total Shots | 23 | 9 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 6 |
| Big Chances | 1 | 1 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87% | 72% |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | 5 |
| Corners | 7 | 3 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Sunderland: Arne Slot’s Struggling Reds Stumble to a Draw.
