Wirtz wait goes on for Liverpool as West Ham caveat hammered home by Sunderland

Sunderland have done a lot of unexpected things on their return to the Premier League. Being disappointed to leave Anfield with only one point instead of three might now be top of the list.

Regis Le Bris’ side were magnificent, again, continuing to bring so, so much to the league having been away for so long.

Sunderland at Anfield were everything West Ham at the London Stadium were not. Brave enough, good enough, confident enough to put this visibly fragile and uncertain Liverpool side under huge pressure from the start and sustaining it right into injury time before leaving with a 1-1 draw that was hard-earned and could so easily have been even more.

For Liverpool, the fear – always there in the background – heightens that their apparent return to form at the weekend might have had a lot more to do with West Ham than it did with them.

Until the desperate closing minutes in which they chased a late winner they didn’t deserve, this was another Liverpool effort oddly devoid of purpose and precision.

They could have few complaints when they fell behind, and the fact the goal was one to raise yet more questions about Virgil van Dijk doesn’t help. Having initially given the ball away he failed to adequately close down Chemsdine Talbi’s shot, completing the sh*tshow by turning his back as the ball spun off him into the bottom corner of Alisson’s net.

This was no bolt from the blue for Sunderland, either. They gave at least as good as they got for the first hour and were tenacious and resilient in the closing stages.

The good news, such as there was, for Liverpool came in another tentatively encouraging performance from Florian Wirtz. It’s been a slow process and Liverpool’s wider problems mean patience is not in infinite supply, but the glimpses are becoming less occasional, the eye-catching moments more frequent.

For a moment it appeared he finally had his first Premier League goal as Liverpool drew level. That wasn’t to be, replays revealing he’d actually sliced his shot quite tremendously. Without Nordi Mukiele’s inadvertent contribution it would have sailed mortifyingly wide.

Instead it found the back of the net to earn Liverpool a point at least; and while Wirtz’s official wait for a goal goes on, and his actual shot on this occasion actually very ropey indeed, the quick feet that got him into position to shoot were a tantalising reminder of just how good we all know he really is. He’ll come good. Definitely. Probably.

But it wasn’t enough for Liverpool on another night where they slipped ever further away from any kind of meaningful attempt to defend their title. We are already firmly in the territory where Chelsea’s defeat at the hands of Leeds is of more relevance to the champions than another routine home win for Arsenal.

And it could have been even worse. In their desperation to pinch all three points, Liverpool very nearly ended up with none at all. With everyone forward, Wilson Isidor was free to run at Alisson’s goal from inside his own half having been brilliantly picked out by his goalkeeper Robin Roefs.

Federico Chiesa got back to clear off the line, preserving a point for Liverpool and denying both Isidor and Roefs a place in Sunderland legend.

For Roefs in particular it would have been well-earned after the way he dealt with everything – every non-deflected thing, anyway – Liverpool could throw at him.

But in reality that was far, far less than he would’ve expected. Alexander Isak reverted to type after the apparent improvement at West Ham.

Mo Salah again started on the bench before appearing for the second half and offering very little by way of compelling evidence that he deserves to be restored to the starting line-up.

Wirtz apart, this was another night which ends for Liverpool with more doubts, more questions than ever about so many of their key performers. The all-time greats are creaking, the new heroes not yet apparently ready to step up to the task.

For Liverpool now the very real prospect of a season spent meandering and wondering just how it can all feel so very different so very quickly after last year’s stunning march to the title.

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