Florian Wirtz had his first goal for Liverpool disallowed

Florian Wirtz was denied his debut goal for Liverpool in the 1-1 home draw against Sunderland.

The £116 million signing seemed to have chosen the perfect moment to open his scoring account as Regis Le Bris’s side looked close to a historic win at Anfield. The German midfielder skillfully maneuvered inside the box before his shot deflected off Nordi Mukiele and went into the net. Initially, everyone thought Wirtz had finally broken his duck, but slow-motion replays quickly dashed Liverpool’s hopes.

The ball from Wirtz’s shot was actually going wide until it hit Mukiele, changed direction, and flew straight into the goal past goalkeeper Robin Roefs. The Premier League’s match control center later clarified: “The panel has confirmed the goal scored in the 81st minute for Liverpool was an own goal by Mukiele.”

Sunderland took the lead in the 67th minute with a classy finish from Chemsdine Talbi. The goal stunned Liverpool, and the visitors came very close to their first victory at Anfield since 1983.

However, a moment marked by Wirtz secured a point for the home team, even though the goal was not credited to him. Sunderland could have left Anfield with all three points if Wilson Isidor had converted a chance in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The striker got past Alisson but his weak shot was cleared off the line by Federico Chiesa.

Before equalizing, Liverpool faced the risk of losing two consecutive home Premier League matches for the first time since March 2021. This result allowed Arne Slot’s team to temporarily leapfrog Manchester United into eighth place with 22 points, while Sunderland stood sixth, one point ahead of Liverpool.

Sunderland are crafting an inspiring story. With disciplined and fast-paced play, Regis Le Bris’s team has troubled many top clubs: defeating Chelsea, drawing with Arsenal, and nearly beating Liverpool at Anfield.

They are breaking the usual pattern of newly promoted teams who typically struggle to stay up. Unlike Burnley and Leeds, Sunderland’s aim now seems to have shifted from “surviving in the Premier League” to something greater.

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