FLORIAN Wirtz came good to help rescue Liverpool from another home horror show – but then had his first Reds goal cruelly taken away.
And Arne Slot will know his men got away with one.
German ace Wirtz has been carrying the weight of his nine-figure transfer fee, struggling to make an impact.
When Chemadine Talbi took full advantage of a double error by Virgil van Dijk to put Sunderland in front, the Black Cats, who had earlier hit the woodwork twice, were on course for their first Anfield win in 42 years.
Slot had brought Mo Salah in from the cold at half-time in a bid to get something out of his team, while Alexander Isak’s miseries in front of his new home fans were continuing.
But with just seven minutes left, Wirtz was the saviour, receiving from substitute Curtis Jones and weaving into the box before his left footer clipped the heels of Nordi Mukiele to find the back of the net.
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The dubious goals panel snatched it away from the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man because his initial strike was heading wide, with Mukiele the unfortunate recipient of the own goal.
The equaliser was more than the Reds had deserved, with Sunderland excellent, composed and calm.
Despite the point, little seems calm at Liverpool. Salah may have been called from the bench after his weekend axe yet the questions over his future will not be so easily dispelled.
As for Isak, the British record signing is still to score a Prem goal at Anfield and the Swede was once again utterly anonymous.
Slot might have anticipated that win at West Ham would give his team some much-needed confidence.
Instead, they were slack and sloppy early on, encouraging the Black Cats – whose last Anfield win was in 1983 – to play on the front foot before Talbi’s strike meant a tenth loss in their last 14 games.
Brian Brobbey, finally making his first Prem start, was a major nuisance for Ibrahima Konate, while Liverpool lacked any conviction, despite Wirtz seeking to influence in the No10 role.
It felt like everyone in red was waiting for somebody else to take charge – and finally Wirtz picked up the baton.
A loose clearance by Robin Roefs saw Wirtz playing a give-and-go with Dominik Szoboszlai, bundling through to poke goalwards, with the shot rebounding from the keeper on to the German to roll behind.
Briefly, Liverpool were forcing mistakes, Wirtz increasingly prominent, although Sunderland were not cowed.
And the visitors so nearly went in front, with Alisson fortunate that the crossbar was his friend on 33 minutes.
Again, Liverpool were loose in midfield, Szoboszlai diverting the ball into the path of Trai Hulme, who looked up and had a pop from 25 yards, which the keeper misjudged slightly but flicked onto the woodwork above his right ear.
Liverpool eventually responded, Szoboszlai forcing a save from the edge of the box before Alexis Mac Allister’s ten-yard header from a Joe Gomez cross grazed the outside of the post with Roefs scrambling.
Yet Liverpool had been so poor that Salah’s interval introduction, in place of Cody Gakpo, was Slot seeking to spark a response.
Now the champions had an out-ball on the right and the intensity levels were cranked up, Sunderland having to dig deep for the first time.
Yet they were not purely defending and quite how Konate, awkward all evening, avoided a yellow card for a scything foul on Noah Sadiki – Stuart Atwell didn’t even give a free-kick – was hard to fathom.
On the hour, they were denied by the frame of the goal again.
Omar Alderete was left unchallenged by three Liverpool defenders in front of the near post to meet Enzo Le Fee’s corner and flick his header against the outside of the upright.
Liverpool did not heed the warning, Van Dijk guilty twice as the goal they deserved came.
The skipper’s pass was horrible, straight to Le Fee, with Van Dijk then backing off rather than closing Talbi down, paying the price when the deflection gave Alisson no chance as it found the corner.
Sunderland went looking for more, Dan Ballard demanding – in vain – a penalty when he was shoved from behind by Szoboszlai.
Slot rang the changes, sending on Jones and Hugo Etitike, with Wirtz’s run and shot bringing the late leveller.
Even then, when Slot’s team were caught out by a swift Roefs clearance kick, it needed a goalline clearance by Federico Chiesa to deny Wilson Isidor a winner after he had rounded Alisson.
Liverpool are still nowhere near where they need to be.
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